A Second Chance At Love
by RozaBelikova-x
Summary: After the sudden death of Rose's fiancé, she finds solace in her friends and, surprisingly, in her fiancé's best friend Dimitri, who unexpectedly turns up at the funeral after disappearing for over a year. When secrets start to unravel, Rose realizes her fiancé may not be the man she thought he was. To make matters worse, she might be falling for the one person she shouldn't. AH.
1. Chapter 1

_Hello everyone! I'm back with a new story! Here's the full summary:_

 ** _After the sudden death of Rose's fiancé, she finds solace in her friends and, surprisingly, in her fiancé's former best friend Dimitri, who unexpectedly turns up at the funeral after disappearing for over a year._**

 ** _Secrets start to unravel and Rose comes to the realization that her fiancé may not be the man she thought he was. To make matters worse, she might be falling for the one person she shouldn't._**

 _Like usual, it's all human._

 _ **Important note:** There will be lots of flashbacks in this story. I don't want to confuse you, however, so I'll write down the date with every new POV so you can still follow the story (I hope). But don't worry yet, there won't be any flashbacks in this chapter. This will be a regular one ;)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy. It belongs to the wonderful Richelle Mead. This story is inspired by the movie "Catch and release"._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1**

 **RPOV – JULY 3, 2015**

I stared around the room, at all the people who were here in our house – my house now, I guess – to show their support. To show their grief for Adrian. _My Adrian._

I'd been going on without him for a week now and I could still hardly believe it. Even now, after we'd just buried him, a part of me believed that this was all a dream, or better yet, a nightmare. A part of me was still expecting my fiancé to walk through the front door any minute now, coming home from his business trip. But he wouldn't walk through that door. He couldn't. He was dead.

It all still felt so unreal. But I knew it was true. It happened. I'd seen his body at the morgue. His face so, so pale. His eyes closed so it looked like he was just sleeping.

Last week, everything had still been normal. We'd had breakfast together, he'd kissed me goodbye and told me he loved me before he left for his trip. Just like always. He was supposed to come back after three days, but he never did. At least not alive.

And now…now I was here with all these people I barely knew – who kept patting my arm in a consoling gesture, with their apologetic looks on their faces as they told me over and over again how sorry they were that Adrian had passed away – and soon I'd be all alone in this big house.

"Excuse me for a second," I said to Adrian's colleague, an older man with graying hair who went on and on about all the houses he'd sold with Adrian.

If anyone should have died from a stroke, it would have to be that old man instead of Adrian. I mean, how could a twenty-sixth year old have died from a stroke? _You know why, Rose_ , I thought wryly.

I'd known his excessive smoking and drinking hadn't been good for him – hell, that wasn't good for _anyone._ I'd told him time and again that he should quit, but he never listened. As if the smoking and the drinking hadn't been bad enough, he'd also had high blood pressure thanks to the stress from work.

To top it all off, there was a family history of stroke – apparently Adrian's uncle died a few years back of a stroke. I hadn't known. That is, until last week.

I pushed my way through the crowd, desperate to be alone for a few minutes. I couldn't bear to look at Adrian's parents any longer. His mom was constantly crying, making me tear up as well. But his father…he pissed me off. He was telling jokes and laughing his ass off as if this was some nice and fun party. Well, I guess everyone dealt with death in a different way.

 _Keep it together, Rose._ Quickly, I went upstairs and was relieved when no one tried to stop me. I started walking faster and practically ran into the bathroom, locking the door behind me before sinking down on the toilet seat. _Okay, now you can cry._

And I did. Burying my face in my hands, I broke down into huge, ugly sobs. I hadn't cried like this in years; I hadn't had a reason to. But now I felt like I was entitled to cry like this.

 _Adrian is gone. He's truly gone._

The disbelief I was feeling earlier was fading quickly. Yes, it was all real. Adrian was gone; I'd buried him just a few hours ago. He was never coming back.

A knock on the door startled me upright. Suppressing my sobs, I wiped the tears from my eyes. Standing up, I checked my make-up. Thank God I was wearing waterproof mascara!

"Rose, it's me. Liss," a voice from outside said. "Can I come in?"

"J-just a second," I said, my voice wavering.

Taking a deep breath, I tried to compose myself and walked over to the door to let her in. A look of sympathy crossed her face upon seeing me. I gave her a watery smile in return.

"Oh, Rose," she said, embracing me. I started crying again. "I'm so sorry."

She hugged me tightly as I cried my heart out on her shoulder. When I was done, she pulled back to look at me.

"I wish there was something I could do to help you," she whispered, tears in her eyes.

"You already are helping me," I whispered back. "You're helping me by being here."

She squeezed my hand. "I wish I could do more than that."

"This is enough, Liss," I answered, squeezing her hand back. "Thank you."

A small smile crossed her face. "I'm always here for you, you know that."

I gave her a grateful smile before sitting down on the edge of the bathtub. "I know."

"Why are you hiding in here?" Lissa asked, sitting down next to me.

I sighed, wiping at my eyes again. "I couldn't bear to talk to all those people any longer," I told her, sniffling. Lissa handed me a tissue. "They keep going on and on about how amazing Adrian is – was. _Dammit_." A sob erupted from my throat again. _Don't start crying again, Rose._ "Sorry," I muttered.

"It's okay," Lissa said in a soothing voice. "I know this is a hard time for you, Rose. He was your fiancé after all. And it must be difficult to hear all these stories they're telling about Adrian."

"It is," I whispered. "And all I want to do is cry, but I just have to stand there and listen and talk about Adrian. I don't want that. I don't want to talk or think about him anymore, because every time I do, it hurts," I cried. "It hurts _so_ much."

"I know, I know," Lissa murmured, putting her arm around me.

I let out another sigh and leaned my head against her shoulder, closing my eyes. "I'm so tired."

"Have you been sleeping?"

I shook my head. "My doctor prescribed me some meds to help me sleep."

"But you haven't taken them yet?"

I shook my head again.

"Why not?"

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"You should take them if the doctor prescribed them," Lissa said. "I know you're not a big fan of medication, but you don't have to take them forever. Just for a while… until everything has calmed down again."

"Okay," I muttered. "I'll take them."

Lissa looked relieved. "Good."

We sat in silence for a few more minutes. If it were up to me, I wouldn't leave this bathroom for the rest of the day, but I knew I had to go back downstairs eventually. After all, I had guests to attend to.

As if Lissa could read my mind, she asked, "You want to go back downstairs?"

"No, but I guess I have to."

"It'll be okay," Lissa reassured me, helping me stand. "It'll be all over soon and then you can get some rest. I'll stay with you until then."

"Thank you, Liss," I said gratefully.

My eyes were puffy from all the crying. I tried to cover it up as best as I could, then went back downstairs. Lissa followed me down and squeezed my hand as she returned to her boyfriend, Christian. Mason stood with them and gave me a concerned look as I passed the group. I gave him a little wave, then made my way to Adrian's mother.

"How are you holding up, dear?" she asked quietly, her eyes filling with tears.

I shrugged, trying my best not to burst into tears. Thankfully, I was distracted by the doorbell. I excused myself and walked to the front door.

When I opened it and saw the person standing at my doorstep, I think my heart stopped for a moment. Recovering from my shock, I wanted to slam the door closed. I didn't want to cause a scene in front of all my guests, though.

"What are _you_ doing here?" I hissed.

"Hello, Rose," Dimitri said quietly in his Russian accent.

He still looked the same since he'd left well over a year ago. Shoulder length chocolate brown hair framed a handsome face. He had a straight nose and a strong jaw line. His eyes were the same color as his hair.

And they were boring into mine right now.

"What are you doing here, Dimitri?" I repeated. I had to crane my neck to look at him; he was so freaking tall.

"I heard about what happened," he said, a contrite look on his face. "I'm very sorry for your loss."

I clenched my jaw as I stared at him. _Stay calm._ "Thank you," I said after composing myself. Clearing my throat, I continued, "Would you like to come inside?"

Dimitri gave me a grateful look. "Yes, thank you."

I walked him to the kitchen. "Please help yourself to the refreshments," I said politely, gesturing towards the kitchen island. "Excuse me for a moment."

Briskly, I walked out of the kitchen and back into the living room. "Was that Dimitri Belikov at the door?" Lissa asked, her eyes wide. "Why's he here?"

"I don't know," I answered. "To pay his respects like everyone else, I guess. He and Adrian used to be best friends after all," I added with a shrug.

"Used to?" Mason asked, puzzled. He didn't know Dimitri.

"Yep," Eddie said with a sigh. "They stopped talking to each other last year. Neither of them explained why."

Eddie had attended university together with Adrian and Dimitri. They'd been friends ever since. When Dimitri and Adrian stopped speaking to each other, Eddie tried to mend their friendship, but that hadn't worked out. Just like me, he didn't know the reason why they'd stopped talking to each other.

I'd asked Adrian several times, but he never really explained it to me. He'd just told me that Dimitri was angry with him. Back then, I'd called Dimitri a few times to get some answers from him, but he'd ignored me completely. At first, I'd been really angry that he'd dropped Adrian just like that – his best friend since childhood! After a while, I'd let it go because Adrian had obviously let it go as well.

Seeing him now on my doorstep, I felt angry again. I wanted to know why he was here all of a sudden – and why he'd stopped talking to Adrian in the first place.

But, on the other hand, I'd rather he didn't tell me. I was a little scared to find out – what if it had something to do with me? The thought that Dimitri might have said something to Adrian made me nervous. _No, it can't be,_ I reassured myself. _Adrian would have surely let me know, then. And Dimitri had promised he'd never tell anyone…_

It must've been about something else. Something guys fought about. Whatever that may be.

"Strange," Mason muttered.

I nodded in agreement, feeling a little bit unsettled. _Why is Dimitri here?_

"Where is he? I'd like to talk to him," Eddie said.

"I left him in the kitchen," I answered.

Lissa gave me a worried look when Eddie left. I forced a smile onto my face, silently telling her not to worry.

"Are you okay, Rose?" Mason, concern edged in his voice.

Christian snorted. "What do you think? She just lost her fiancé, Mason."

He hadn't said much today. I knew that, even though he'd never admit it, he was upset as well. Since he'd started dating Lissa nearly two years ago, we'd gone on a lot of double dates. After a few dates, they'd started hanging out without Lissa and me and that's how they'd become close friends.

I knew Christian well enough to know that he didn't have a lot of friends – probably because he was so snarky all the time, which was actually a trait that I liked in him – so losing Adrian must be painful for him.

Lissa gave him a warning look. "Christian."

He sighed. "Sorry," he muttered, glancing up at Mason.

"It's fine," Mason replied, waving his apology away. He looked at me again, waiting for my reply, that worried look still on his face.

"I'm okay, Mase," I lied, not wanting him to be so anxious about me.

I'd known him since high school and he'd always been kind of a big brother to me; he was always there for me when I needed him and he was the first to protect me if something went wrong. Usually, I didn't mind his protectiveness of me, but today I really needed some space.

I was relieved when everyone started to leave. I couldn't wait to be alone, open up a bottle of wine and drink until I wasn't sad anymore, until I stopped thinking about Adrian.

"You sure you don't want me to stay and help you clean up?" Lissa asked when we were the only ones left.

Christian was twirling his car keys, impatient to leave. He looked exhausted.

"No, it's fine. I'll do it," I told Lissa. "I'd like to be alone for a bit."

She hesitated, but then nodded. "Okay. I'm just a phone call away. So if you need me…"

"I know. I'll call if I need you," I promised. "Bye, Christian."

He looked at me, a hesitant look on his face. Then, he walked over and hugged me tightly. Astonished, I awkwardly patted his back. I don't think he'd ever showed this much emotion since I'd met him. He must be really broken up about Adrian's death. _So am I._

"I'm sorry," he whispered, letting go of me.

I gave him a brief, small smile, then walked them to the door. I waved them goodbye as they backed out the driveway, then turned and locked the door behind me.

Sighing, I walked back into the living room, picked up a few empty glasses and went to the kitchen.

"You need some help?"

I almost jumped ten feet when I walked inside, almost dropping the glasses. One of them slipped through my fingers, but Dimitri caught it just in time before it smashed onto the floor. Carefully, he placed it on the countertop.

"Sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to scare you."

My heart thumped in my chest as I stared at him, unable to utter a word.

"I was at the burial earlier," Dimitri said, breaking the awkward silence between us. "I don't know if you saw me."

Slowly, I shook my head.

"It was a beautiful service," he said softly.

I nodded. Realizing I was still staring at him, I quickly looked away and cleared my throat. "Why are you still here?"

He looked at me, then shrugged. "I haven't gotten a chance to talk to you yet."

"Why would you want to talk to me?" I said, walking around the kitchen island. Grabbing the empty plates, I put them into the dishwasher. I needed something to distract me from him. Jeez, he was so tall! I'd nearly forgotten. And that Russian accent of his… "I mean, why now? After abandoning me – Adrian," I corrected myself quickly, "after ignoring us for over a year. Do you know how many times I've tried calling you?"

"Because-"

"Because Adrian's dead?" I cut him off. Angrily, I turned to him. "I don't want your pity, Dimitri."

"I know that," he said softly. He took a step closer to me and I stepped back immediately. A look of hurt flashed across his face. "I just…" He sighed and ran his hand through his hair, obviously frustrated. "I wanted to check on you. See if you were okay."

"Well, as you can see I'm okay. I'm more than okay. I'm just fine," I exclaimed, still angry. "You can leave now."

"You're not okay," Dimitri whispered.

I gritted my teeth. "Don't tell me how I'm feeling!"

"But you _are_ definitelyangry," he noted, flinching at the tone of my voice.

 _With good reason!_ "I am not angry," I snapped.

He raised his eyebrows at me and I suppressed a sigh. Now I was angry at myself for proving him right. Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm down.

"You never answered my question," I said, my voice calm and steady again.

He looked at me in confusion.

"Last year, I called you a couple of times – and Adrian probably called you a hundred times more – but you never called back," I said. "Did your phone break? Did you lose all your numbers? Or what?"

He glanced away from me. "Maybe I should go. You're clearly angry with me."

 _Great. He's never going to give me a straight answer, is he?_

"Yeah, maybe you should," I said curtly.

Dimitri sighed and started to leave. Glancing over his shoulder, he said, "I'm really sorry about your loss, Rose."

Then he was out the door.

"Goddammit!" I exclaimed, pissed off, as I smashed a glass against the wall.

It didn't satisfy me at all; it only pissed me off some more because now I had to clean up the shards, too. Leaving it all on the floor, I reached for the bottle of wine, opened it and took a big gulp. I would clean up the mess tomorrow.

* * *

 _So this was the first chapter. I realize that it was a little bit depressing, but it'll get better! And guess what, I've made Rose and Lissa best friends again and I can promise you that they'll stay besties so that's a good thing, right? ;)_

 _Well, I hope you liked it. If this story is worth continuing, please leave a review and let me know, thank you! I hope you're all having a great start to the week! :)_


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you so much for all the reviews, favorites and follows! I'm very glad that you all liked the first chapter. :)_

 _So here's the second chapter. This one contains a flashback so keep an eye on the dates._

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy._**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 2**

 **DPOV – MAY 25, 2012**

"I really don't feel like going tonight."

"Oh, come on, Dimitri," Adrian said, rolling his eyes as he pushed me out of our apartment. "How long has it been since you got some action?"

"I don't need any action," I replied, suppressing a sigh.

"Fine, _I_ need some action," Adrian admitted. "I've been working my ass off the past few weeks so I could really use a night off to relax and have fun. And get laid, of course." He stepped into the elevator and I followed him inside with great reluctance. I'd rather stay in tonight and read a book, but Adrian wouldn't have any of that. "And I need you as my wingman," he added with a wink.

We drove down to the city, to Adrian's favorite bar. I was surprised he still found women there to hook up with. We'd been going to that bar for years now; I figured he would have slept with all the women in Manhattan already. But more kept coming.

"I'm not staying long," I told Adrian when we walked inside.

It was Friday night, which meant it was crowded. I weaved my way through the mass of people and sat down at the bar.

Adrian sat down next to me and ordered two beers. "Don't be a killjoy, Dimitri," he said, grinning, as Joe the bartender handed us our beers. "We're just getting started."

"Whatever," I muttered, taking a sip of my beer.

Still grinning, Adrian scanned the bar, already looking for a girl to take home tonight. He found one quickly and she seemed to be interested as well as she gave him a flirtatious smile.

"I think I'm going to talk to her. You coming?" Adrian asked. "She has some girlfriends with her. Maybe one of them is something for you. You never know…"

"Nah, you go," I said, turning my back to the women. "I'll be fine over here."

"You sure?" Adrian said, eager to talk to the girl.

"Yep. I'm sure."

"Alright then," he said, hopping off the bar stool. "Catch you later."

I downed the rest of my beer and ordered another. Hopefully, this wouldn't take too long. Adrian usually made quick work scoring girls' numbers, but sometimes he really took his time, in hopes that one of them would come home with him. Yeah, he hadn't changed much since university and I doubted he'd ever change.

Bored, I glanced around the bar. I noticed Adrian was still talking to that girl from earlier, but she seemed a little clingy as she grasped onto Adrian's arm and leaned into him, whispering something into his ear. Adrian tried to shake her off, obviously no longer interested, but she wouldn't let go.

I chuckled. _Serves him right._

I looked away again. Ordering a third beer, my eyes locked on a girl sitting at the end of the bar. My eyes widened at the sight of her. She was breathtaking. She had long, dark hair that framed a beautiful face, with dark eyes, a straight nose and full, red lips. I guessed she was a few years younger than me, maybe three or four. I don't think I'd ever seen her here before. Surely, I would have remembered her.

"Quit staring like that, Dimitri," Joe said, nudging my shoulder, "before you scare the shit out of her."

I blinked a couple of times, then tore my gaze away from the beautiful young woman. For some strange reason, my heart was beating like crazy.

Joe handed me my beer.

"Thanks," I mumbled, welcoming the distraction.

I took a big sip, my mind still on the girl. I hesitated, but then glanced back at her. I didn't want to stare at her blatantly, which I was obviously doing right now, but I couldn't help myself. She was gorgeous. I wondered what a girl like her was doing here alone.

And then, suddenly, she turned her head and stared back at me.

I almost choked on my beer. _Shit._ She'd caught me staring. But to my surprise and disbelief, a radiant smile crossed her face, making her look even more beautiful. Hesitantly, I smiled back.

She looked away, though, when a blond-haired girl stopped next to her and started talking to her. From the way they interacted, I assumed they were friends. She didn't come here alone after all.

I glanced a couple of times in their direction. The blond-haired girl said something and the dark-haired beauty laughed and said something in return. Then the blond girl disappeared back into the crowd.

Her friend stayed seated at the bar and, as she took a sip of her cocktail, her eyes flicked up to mine. As she put her glass down, she smiled again. _What does that mean? Is she interested? Should I go over?_

I felt myself smiling back at her, but then looked away in confusion. Was I supposed to go over and talk to her now? Should I buy her a drink? I was so not good at this. Adrian was the kind of guy who did this on a daily basis; he surely knew what to do. But not me.

 _Well, you gotta do something! Or are you just going to let that beautiful girl walk out the door?_

Making a decision, I scrambled to my feet. Just when I started to make my way over, a hand grabbed my shoulder and pulled me back. Adrian.

"Thank God, I thought I was never going to get away from that one," Adrian said, letting out a relieved sigh.

"Not your type, then?" I said, glancing back at the girl.

She was still sitting at the bar, looking at me. I was impatient to go over, but Adrian continued talking. Reluctantly, I looked back at him.

"Not at all. She was too easy," Adrian said. "I need a challenge. Someone who – what are you looking at?"

"Nothing," I replied too quickly, tearing my gaze away from the girl again.

But it was too late. He'd seen the girl.

Adrian whistled. "Holy shit, she's smoking hot."

"Don't even think about it," I warned, stopping him as he was about to head for the girl.

"What?" he said, a wolfish grin on his face. "She's looking our way. I guess I should go over and say hello."

 _She's looking at me, you idiot._ At least, I thought so. Maybe not anymore now that she'd seen Adrian.

"No, you should leave her alone," I said, a meager attempt to stop him from going over.

"And why would I do that? She's clearly interested and – have I mentioned it yet? – she's hot!"

"Adrian-"

But he was already gone.

I cursed under my breath and sat back down on my seat, defeated. I didn't have a chance against him anyway so why bother? Adrian was the better catch; he always has been.

"You should have gone when you had the chance," Joe said, shaking his head at me.

"It's fine," I muttered, suppressing a sigh.

From the corner of my eye, I looked at Adrian's attempt to flirt with her. Surprisingly, it didn't seem to go so well. She was frowning – and I noted that even with a frown on her face she was still the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. What was even more surprising, she kept glancing back at me. I smiled, feeling hopeful again.

Suddenly, the blond-haired girl appeared out of nowhere. She said something to the dark-haired goddess, an alarmed look on her face, and tugged at her arm. She got up immediately and, following her friend to the exit, gave me one last, lingering look.

Where was she going? Was there something wrong?

I saw Adrian calling after her, but she was gone. Sighing, I finished my beer. I shouldn't have waited so long to talk to her. Now she was gone and I'd probably never see her again. I'd screwed up.

"She left. She just left," Adrian said, looking perplexed, when he sat down on the stool next to mine. "Without giving me her number. I can't believe it."

 _Me neither._

"Well, at least I got her name," he continued, brightening up a little.

"Yeah?" I said, trying to sound casual.

"Her name's Rose. Rose Hathaway," he said, smiling. "A beautiful name for a beautiful girl."

"Right," I mumbled. _Forget it, Dimitri. Even with her name, you're never going to find her._ My mood darkened immediately. "Can we leave now?" I asked before chugging down the last of my beer. "I'm tired."

"Sure," Adrian muttered. "Let's go."

As we drove back to the apartment, my mind was still on the girl.

Even days after, I kept thinking about her. I regretted not taking any action that night; I'd let her walk away and now I'd never see her again.

 _Ugh, stop thinking about it now, Dimitri_ , I chastised myself. _You never even talked to her. Who knows what an awful person she is. You dodged a bullet that night, be glad._

I knew Adrian had already forgotten about her. Why wouldn't he? There were enough girls to chase; enough girls willing to sleep with him.

So imagine my surprise when he walked into our apartment a week later with a shit-eating grin on his face, announcing he'd run into the beautiful girl from the bar, named Rose Hathaway, at the grocery store and that he'd asked her out.

What made this news even worse was that she'd said yes.

 **DPOV – JULY 3, 2015**

I found myself at the graveyard after my visit to Rose. It hadn't gone so well. But what else could I have expected? I should have known she'd be angry. And, honestly, she had every reason to be angry with me. I realized I'd been a complete dick, disappearing off the face of the Earth with the intention of never seeing her again and then coming back, completely unexpected, as if nothing had happened.

But something did happen. My best friend died.

Well, I guess he hadn't been my best friend for a long time now, not since our fight last year, but still... He was my friend, he had been for many years, and now he was gone. Truly gone.

I hadn't talked to him since our fight and I really started to regret it now, because I hadn't gotten the chance to say goodbye to him. But no one had been given that chance, unfortunately. Not even Rose.

Eddie had told me how it had happened. Adrian had been on his way to a meeting when he'd suddenly had a stroke. All help came too late.

I wondered if things would have been different if we'd never had our argument. If we would've still been friends, if I would've been there when it happened, if I could have helped him…

Probably not.

Sighing, I sat down on the grass and looked at Adrian's grave, wishing he was still alive so I could apologize, so we could be friends again. Looking back, our fight seemed ridiculous now. I should have never brought it up; I should have never meddled in his affairs. Hell, I should have never pined after his girl to begin with! Then we would have never had that fight. Then we wouldn't be here.

It was all my fault.

 _Stop with the self-pity, Dimitri. It will get you nowhere._

I don't know how long I sat there, staring at Adrian's name on the grave, but it was dark when I finally got up and decided to leave.

"I'm sorry," I said quietly, touching the headstone. "For everything."

I walked back to my rental car and drove back to the hotel. I'd be leaving for LA soon, but before that I'd like to talk to Rose again – if she was up for it. I really felt like I owed her an explanation. But how much I could tell her?

 _It's a bad idea, Dimitri. It's only going to give her more grief. It's better to leave her alone. She doesn't want to see you anyway._

Yeah, maybe it was better to just leave without saying goodbye. She didn't take it very well when I'd done that the first time, but she'd made it clear today she didn't want anything to do with me anymore – which was understandable. It had been a mistake to come over. I should have just stayed where I was.

If I wasn't going to talk to Rose again, I guess I could book a last minute flight for tomorrow, then. The sooner I left, the better for everyone.

* * *

 _Poor Dimitri. He saw Rose first, but Adrian swooped in at the last minute. But why did Rose say yes to a date with Adrian when she didn't seem interested in him? And what is Dimitri hiding from Rose? ;)_

 _Please leave a review and let me know what you think! I hope you all have a great weekend! ^^_


	3. Chapter 3

_Thank you for the reviews, follows and favorites! :)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy._**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 3**

 **RPOV – JULY 4, 2015**

I woke up with an awful headache. Slowly, I sat up and took in my surroundings. I'd fallen asleep on the couch and there was an empty wine bottle lying on the floor. No wonder my head was pounding. I usually didn't drink this much and now I remembered why. Because of the bad headaches it gave me.

I hobbled to the bathroom, moaning and groaning, and opened the medicine cabinet. Taking Adrian's pain killers, I went back downstairs to the kitchen. Grabbing a glass, I filled it with water and swallowed the pills.

I leaned back against the countertop and looked around the kitchen. My guests had made a mess yesterday so I had a lot of cleaning to do. I didn't mind, though. Right now, I'd welcome every distraction, even cleaning.

But first, I needed a shower. And some food.

Around two, just when I finished scrubbing the kitchen, Lissa called to check in. I reassured her that I was fine and that I was eating. I might be sad, but I wouldn't stop eating. Honestly, food was my only comfort right now.

"So have you talked to Dimitri yet?" Lissa asked, changing the subject.

"Uh yeah," I responded reluctantly. I was so not in the mood to talk about him. I'd been thinking about our argument all morning.

I was still furious at him, but I realized I might have been a little rude to him yesterday. He might not have spoken to Adrian in over a year, but they'd been best friends since childhood. Adrian's death must be hard on him as well. Why else would he have shown up here?

"It didn't go so well," I admitted. "I kind of lost my temper."

"Oh, Rose," Lissa said, letting out a sigh. "What did you say to him?"

"It doesn't matter," I said briskly, not wanting to talk about Dimitri anymore. "He left and I don't think I'll ever see him again."

"Maybe you should apologize to him-"

"Look, I've got to go. I still have a lot to do today," I said, impatient to get off the phone. "Talk to you later, Liss. Say hi to Christian for me."

I disconnected before she could respond. As I stared down at the phone in my hands, I thought her words over. Was she right? Should I apologize to Dimitri? _No, you didn't do anything wrong, Rose,_ I reassured myself. _Just let it be. You're never going to see him again anyway._

I didn't know what to do with myself after that. Adrian's stuff was still lying around the house and I knew I would have to store it somewhere, maybe give it back to Adrian's mom. I'm sure she would like that. I didn't want it here anyway. I didn't want to see it and be confronted with Adrian's death every day. Getting over his death would be hard enough already.

I went upstairs, to our bedroom, and started packing up his clothes. As I put them in boxes, I tried not to cry. Getting rid of his stuff was easier said than done. A few tears escaped my eyes when I came across the suit Adrian was wearing when I last saw him. I remembered buying it for him for his birthday two years ago. He'd always wear it to important meetings and he'd say it was his lucky suit because I'd bought it for him. I didn't want to get rid of it just yet.

I checked his pockets before hanging the suit back up in the closet. I found a pack of cigarettes in one and in the other a pack of gum and, to my surprise, a small piece of paper with a number written on it.

Frowning, I turned it over, but there was no name written on the back. Strange. Who's number could this be? Maybe it was a client's number.

As I stared at the piece of paper, I felt compelled to call the number. I didn't recognize it so it couldn't be a family member's or one of his friends' number. It must be a number from a new client or something. They probably didn't know Adrian was dead. Maybe they'd been waiting for a call from him.

Should I call them? Inform them – whoever it was?

Yes, I should.

Grabbing my cell phone, I dialed the number. For some strange reason, I felt a little nervous. _Don't be silly, Rose._

I waited, but no one picked up. Then it went to voicemail.

"Hello, this is Abby Badica. Unfortunately, I'm not able to entertain you at the moment. But if you leave a message, I'll call you back if I feel like it. And here's a hint for you, boys, if you offer to buy me dinner, I might call you back a lot sooner. Oh, and don't forget to leave your name and number. Don't want to mix up all the different offers!" There was a giggle, then, "Bye!"

I scrunched up my nose in disgust. What the hell was that?!

It couldn't be that this woman was one of Adrian's clients, right? But why the hell would he have her number, then? _Maybe she's a colleague or a friend_ , I thought. No, then he would have surely mentioned her. And then her number would have been programmed into his cell phone instead of haphazardly written on a piece of paper.

I trusted Adrian, but this didn't feel right. _Don't be so paranoid. There's got to be a reasonable explanation for this_ , I told myself.

The ringing of his cell phone startled me. I looked down at the screen and saw it was the same number I'd dialed a few minutes ago. Should I pick up?

 _Yes._

I picked up, but remained silent.

"Adrian, is that you? I'm sorry I missed your call," a woman said, presumably Abby. "Are we still on for next week? Adrian? Hello?"

Shocked, I hung up. Not even two seconds later the phone started ringing again, but I sent it straight to voicemail.

 _Are we still on for next week?_ Adrian was supposed to go to a conference in Connecticut next week, or so he'd told me. Had that been a lie? Had he planned to meet this Abby woman instead?

Adrian was gone a lot of the time because of his job, he had irregular hours and needed to attend meetings and conferences. I had been fine with that, sure it was strictly business. But what if he'd lied about all those meetings? What if he had been meeting women instead?

I shook my head, trying to get rid of all the negative thoughts. S _top it, Rose. You know Adrian. He would never do this to you. He wouldn't cheat on you. He wouldn't…_

I still couldn't shake the thought that he might have cheated on me with this woman. What the hell was I supposed to do now? The girl didn't even know Adrian was dead. Did _I_ have to tell her now?

I felt like screaming. When his phone rang a third time, I threw it against the wall in frustration. To my relief, it stopped ringing. I'd probably broken it.

"Shit," I muttered to myself. "What am I going to do now?"

I wanted to know the truth. I'd never worried about Adrian cheating on me before. I'd never thought I had a reason to.

Well, I guess I could call Abby back and just ask her. But would she give me a straight answer when she realized I was Adrian's fiancé? Probably not.

Seeing as Adrian was dead and I couldn't ask him, there was only one person I could go to if I wanted answers. Dimitri was the only one who knew Adrian better than me. Since they hadn't talked in a year, Dimitri probably didn't know about this Abby girl – unless Adrian had been sleeping with her for several years now – but he'd surely know if Adrian was capable of such a thing.

Abandoning my work, I got to my feet and went downstairs. As I got inside the car, I called Eddie, hoping he would know where Dimitri was staying. He did.

When I got to the hotel, I wanted to turn around right away. From all the people I saw walking in and out, this was obviously a fancy hotel, one for rich people. As I walked inside and looked around the huge atrium, I felt out of place. I really shouldn't have come here in my sweatpants; everyone was looking at me. I wished I'd changed into some nicer clothes.

Embarrassed, I quickly walked to the elevators. I stepped out on the third floor and walked over to Dimitri's room. Thank God Eddie knew which room he was staying in. When I reached his door, I took a deep breath and, before I could change my mind, I knocked. _Turns out I'm seeing him again after all_ , I thought wryly as I waited for him to open the door.

When he finally did, he looked surprised to see me. "Rose," he said, his eyes wide.

"I have a problem," I said nervously, feeling very conscious of myself. I really should have changed before coming over. And I probably should have combed my hair. "I was wondering if you could help me out. It'll only take a moment."

He stepped aside to let me in. "Sure."

I looked around the spacious room. There was a huge comfy-looking king-size bed, a large desk accompanied by a fancy looking chair. There was also a flat screen TV, a sofa bed and a mini-bar next to the enormous bed. Adrian definitely would have loved this room.

"Take a seat," Dimitri said as he sat down on the sofa bed.

I looked around, then sat down on the chair. There was no way in hell I was going to sit next to him on that sofa bed.

"Do you want something to drink?"

"No, thank you," I answered politely.

"So what's your problem?" Dimitri asked when a few minutes of silence had passed.

"I have a few questions," I said, anxiously twirling my engagement ring around my finger. _Could it really be that Adrian had cheated on me?_ "It's about Adrian," I clarified, looking up at him at last.

"Okay," Dimitri said after a pause.

"I know you haven't spoken to him in over a year," I started, "but I… I was wondering if…" I hesitated. "Do you know a woman named Abby Badica?"

Dimitri was quiet for a few moments, then shook his head. "I've never heard of her before. Why are you asking?"

"Well, I found this in Adrian's pocket," I said, handing him the piece of paper. "I was curious and dialed the number."

"Did she answer your call?"

"No, not at first."

"Maybe she's a client," Dimitri said.

"That's what I thought, too, but then she called me back and…"

"And?" Dimitri asked, encouraging me to go on.

"She thought I was Adrian, seeing as I called her from his cell phone, and asked if they were still on for next week," I told him.

Dimitri looked up at me, his eyes widening a little. He seemed to be holding his breath. "Really?" he said at last.

I nodded. "Right before I last saw him, Adrian told me he had to go to Connecticut for a conference. But now I'm thinking he had plans with Abby instead."

Dimitri glanced away; silent.

"Do you think Adrian was cheating on me?" I asked.

"Rose, I haven't talked to him in ages. How would I know?" he said, avoiding my gaze.

"You know Adrian better than anyone," I said. "Is he-" I closed my eyes and rephrased, " _Was_ he capable of cheating?"

"I don't know, Rose," Dimitri muttered. He still wouldn't look at me.

"Dimitri, please," I pleaded. "I need to know."

He didn't say anything.

"Why won't you look at me?!" I exclaimed, getting up from the chair.

Dimitri sighed and, finally, he glanced up at me, a resigned look on his face. "You know how Adrian was before he met you. He slept around a lot."

"Yes. But like you said, that was before me," I said, my voice unsteady.

Dimitri got up as well. "I don't know what you want me to say, Rose," he said, shrugging helplessly.

"Just tell me the truth, please," I whispered, willing myself not to cry.

Even if he didn't tell me, I already knew the answer. The guilty look on his face told me all I needed to know.

"It might be possible," he answered at last, his voice quiet. "But she might just be one of his clients, Rose."

I shook my head and closed my eyes, trying to hold back my tears. "I don't think she's a client, Dimitri. You should have heard her voicemail."

"I'm sorry," Dimitri mumbled, regret clear on his face. "I didn't want to make you feel any worse than you already do."

"Trust me, you didn't," I said as I sank back down onto the chair. "Adrian did." I covered my face with my hands. A part of me wished I hadn't come over. In this moment, knowing the truth was far much worse than not knowing at all. "Oh God, I can't believe Adrian was cheating on me."

"Rose, please don't jump to conclusions so quickly," Dimitri said, walking over to where I was sitting. "There might be a reasonable explanation-"

"Oh yeah?" I interrupted him, glaring up at him.

He crouched down in front of me so his eyes were level with mine. "Adrian loved you, Rose. You know it and I know it. It's true that he used to be a womanizer, I don't deny that, but maybe…maybe he didn't cheat on you. Maybe this woman was interested in him and he accepted her number out of politeness."

"Then why would he keep it?!" I snapped. "Why didn't he just throw it away?"

"I don't know," Dimitri said, taken aback.

"Sorry," I muttered. "I just…" I sighed, running my hands through my hair. "I never expected him to cheat on me."

"Under certain circumstances, even the most loyal person could be tempted to cheat," Dimitri said quietly, glancing down at the floor.

I stared at him, hard. "What's that supposed to mean?" I snapped as I shot up from the chair again.

Dimitri took several steps back, the guilty look on his face again as he bit his lip, probably wishing he hadn't said anything.

"Are you talking about me?" I continued angrily. "Are you talking about that one night? I wasn't the only one at fault and you know it!"

"I wasn't referring to you or that night, Rose," Dimitri cut me off hastily. "I'm just saying, Adrian loved you very much, but women are his…weakness," he added, clearly uncomfortable talking about this. "And I know that doesn't make any of this right, but…" He paused, sighing. "I wouldn't jump to conclusions so quickly if I were you, Rose. You don't know for sure that he was cheating on you."

"Five minutes ago, you said it yourself that it was possible that he had been cheating on me," I exclaimed, outraged. "I know Adrian was your friend and that, despite your fight with him, you don't want to damage his reputation, but I really need for you to be honest right now. Do you think he was cheating on me? Yes or no?"

"I can't say, Rose," Dimitri replied calmly. "Maybe. Like you know, I haven't talked to Adrian in so long. I don't know what he was doing or where he was going during that time. So I have no idea."

"Okay," I said, taking a deep breath. "Fine. How about when you two were still friends? Was he really going to conferences and meetings all the time or was he seeing other women? You should know. You're both realtors!"

"Not exactly. I'm a broker and I run my own business. Adrian was a real estate agent and worked under a broker-"

"Yeah, yeah, I know the difference," I snapped.

"It all depends on how many clients Adrian had," Dimitri continued patiently. "The more clients, the more meetings. And I also have to attend conferences regularly. It's the same for Adrian or any other real estate agent."

"But I bet he had time off during those conferences to meet other women?" I pressed.

"I guess. I don't know. If you want to know more about this, you should talk to his broker," Dimitri answered. "He should know how many meetings Adrian had and who his clients were."

I sighed, defeated. "Okay. Thank you."

Dimitri hesitated, but then said softly, "Are you going to be okay, Rose?"

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "All of this is too much for me right now. I really don't want to think badly of Adrian. Maybe you're right, maybe he didn't cheat, but he was definitely hiding something." I held up the piece of paper. "And I think I'll find out if I call Abby back."

"You really want to do that?" Dimitri asked, unsure.

"Not really, but do I have a choice?" I sighed.

Dimitri remained silent.

Remembering Lissa's words from earlier on the phone, I said hesitantly, "About yesterday… I'm sorry I was so rude to you. Despite your fight, he was still your best friend and it's only normal you wanted to be there for his burial."

"No, I shouldn't have barged in like that. I should have called first," Dimitri said quickly.

Ignoring him, I continued, "I know you meant well. I shouldn't have gotten angry at you. Besides, your argument with Adrian – it's none of my business. It was something between you and him. I'm just sorry that you two didn't get to make it right."

"I'm sorry too," Dimitri murmured.

He stared into my eyes for a long time and I felt myself flushing.

"So, umm, how long are you staying?" I asked, desperate to change the subject.

"I'm leaving tonight."

"Oh." For some reason I'd expected him to stay longer.

"Yeah."

An awkward silence fell.

"I guess I should be going now," I said, clearing my throat. I started to leave. Dimitri followed suit and opened the door for me. I flushed again. "Thank you for your help. Have a safe flight." I turned to look at him. "Goodbye, Dimitri."

He gave me a small, sad smile. "Goodbye, Rose."

* * *

 _Do you think Adrian was cheating on Rose? Does Dimitri know more than he's telling Rose? ;)_

 _I hope you liked the chapter. Have a nice day/evening! :)_


	4. Chapter 4

_Thank you for the reviews! I hope you enjoy this chapter. Just like last chapter, there won't be any flashbacks in this one. :)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy._**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 4**

 **RPOV – JULY 5, 2015**

"What are you going to do now?"

Lissa looked at me with wide eyes, still in shock. I'd just told her about Abby's number in Adrian's pocket and what I thought had been going on behind my back.

"I don't know," I sighed.

"Aren't you going to call her back?" Lissa said.

"And what should I say? ' _Hey, Abby. This is Rose, Adrian's girlfriend. Unfortunately, Adrian won't make it next week because he has passed away. By the way, have you been sleeping with my fiancé?_ '" I scoffed. "And if it's true that she was seeing him, I don't think he would have told her he had a fiancée so I'm pretty sure she wouldn't believe me."

"I'm sorry, Rose," Lissa mumbled. "I never thought Adrian would do that to you."

"Me neither." I let out another sigh. "But Dimitri says I shouldn't jump to conclusions. He says the girl might have hit on him and he was too polite to refuse her number." I snorted. "I'm not sure I believe that, though."

Lissa raised an eyebrow. "You talked to Dimitri about this?"

"Yeah," I admitted. "He couldn't tell me much, though. Or he didn't want to," I added glumly. I shrugged. "I don't know. I really don't know what to believe anymore."

"Call Abby," Lissa said. "I'm sure she can give you answers."

I bit my lip. "Yesterday, I really wanted to know the truth, but I'm not so sure anymore. What if it's only going to give me more grief? I can't handle that right now."

Lissa smiled sympathetically and squeezed my hand. "Then don't call her – not until you're ready."

But would I ever be ready to know the truth? What if he really had been sleeping with other women? If it was all true, it would crush me.

"What am I going to do now, Liss?" I said desperately. "What am I going to do without Adrian? He was all I had-"

"That's not true. You have me, Rose," Lissa cut me off gently. "Always."

I gave her a grateful smile, but it disappeared quickly. "I just miss him so much," I whispered, tears in my eyes.

"I know," Lissa murmured, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

"I don't know what to do with myself," I said. "I have nothing to do here. I have all the time in the world to think about Adrian and I don't want that. I need a distraction so I can stop being sad." I wiped at my eyes. "I wish I could go back to work. At least I'd have something to do, then. Why the hell did I have to become a high school teacher?" I muttered to myself, shaking my head. "I've got too much time off."

"Maybe it's a good thing you have some time for yourself," Lissa said. "Now you can do whatever the hell you want to do. You could go on a trip," she suggested. "Lie on a beach, drink cocktails and forget about your life here. You could have fun."

"How can I have fun with Adrian gone?" I sighed. "I'd feel guilty if I'd go on a trip now. Like I don't care that he's dead."

"We all know how much you care," Lissa said. "Trust me, take a vacation. It'll do you good."

"I'll think about it," I muttered.

Lissa glanced down at her watch, then hopped off the bar stool. "I have to go back to work."

I followed her to the front door. "Thanks for the talk, Liss."

She hugged me, then walked over to her car. I waved as she backed out of the driveway, then walked back inside and closed the door behind me.

With great reluctance, I went back upstairs to the bedroom. I still had to pack the rest of Adrian's stuff into boxes. I wasn't really looking forward to it, mostly because I was afraid to stumble upon another secret.

I'd just finished taping the last box – fortunately, I hadn't found any other phone numbers hidden in Adrian's clothes – when the doorbell rang. Hopefully, it wasn't one of the neighbors again with another lasagna – I'd already had a bunch of those in the past week. I swear to God, if I got another one, I'd throw it in the trash.

But when I opened the door, I was confronted with Dimitri.

 _Again?_

 **DPOV – JULY 5, 2015**

I wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but I had to check on Rose before I left. She'd clearly been upset last night when she visited me and I didn't want her to do something stupid. So that's why I found myself at her doorstep the next day.

When Rose finally opened the door, she looked at me, dumbfounded. She was wearing the same sweats from yesterday, her hair was twisted into a knot on top of her head and she wasn't wearing any makeup. But to me, she still looked like the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen.

"I thought you'd left already," she said at last, pulling me back from my thoughts.

"I changed my flight," I replied, forcing a smile onto my face. "Mind if I come in?"

Rose shook her head and stepped back to let me in. "Why did you change your flight?"

Should I tell her the truth? I knew she wouldn't like my answer and I didn't want her to lose her temper already. _Oh, screw it. Just tell her the truth._

"You were very upset when you left my hotel room last night and I was worried you might do something…" I hesitated.

"Stupid?" she finished my sentence for me.

I nodded.

"Don't worry, Dimitri. I'm not suicidal."

"That's not what I meant actually," I said, shocked, "but…that's good."

She frowned. "Oh."

"I thought you might wanted to visit Abby or something."

"No, I'm not planning to visit her. I don't have her address anyway. Why? Would it be a problem if I did?" she asked, her voice sharp.

"No, no," I said quickly, "but, you know, you kind of have a short temper."

Her eyes widened in disbelief. For a moment, I thought she was going to yell at me, but then, to my surprise and relief, she started laughing. "You thought I was going to start a fight with her?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Anyway, I just wanted to make sure you were alright."

"You seem to be doing that a lot these past few days," Rose noted, crossing her arms. She nodded at the couch and added, "Take a seat. You want something to drink? Something to eat? I've got lasagna."

"No, thank you," I answered politely as I sat down on the couch.

"You sure? Because I've got too much," Rose said. "My neighbors keep bringing me food. As if I can't cook for myself now that Adrian's dead," she added, rolling her eyes.

"I'm fine, thanks," I replied.

There was another awkward silence. I was wondering why I'd even come inside; I should have just left after making sure she was okay. Why was I doing this to myself? I knew I couldn't be around Rose so why did I keep coming back?

"So how's Tasha?" Rose asked, breaking the silence, as she sat down on the edge of the coffee table.

I grimaced at hearing Tasha's name. "I don't know. We broke up."

Rose looked at me in surprise. "Really? When did that happen?"

"Umm, about a year ago," I said, avoiding her gaze.

"Oh," she said quietly, biting down on her lower lip. Shit. I shouldn't have said anything. I just made it even more awkward. "Well, that's too bad."

I snorted. "Really, Rose? You couldn't stand her."

She smiled reluctantly. "I guess that's true. But you have to admit, Tasha was a bitch."

I nodded in agreement. "Yes, you're completely right," I said, smiling back.

And just like that, the tension in the room disappeared. _Thank God!_

"I'm glad to hear you dumped her ass – you did dump _her_ , right?"

"Yes, I dumped her," I answered. "She didn't take it well, though."

Rose grinned. "Even better." Clearing her throat, she turned serious again. "But I mean it, Dimitri. You're better off without her."

"I know. She wasn't the right person for me anyway," I said, holding her gaze.

Her cheeks turned red, but she didn't look away. "Right," she mumbled after a few moments.

We continued staring at each other until, suddenly, she jumped up and said, changing the subject, "I just finished packing up Adrian's stuff. I was going to give it all back to his parents, but I came across a few things you might be interested in. I was planning to send them to you – you do still live in LA, right?"

"Uh yeah," I replied, cursing myself for what I'd just said to her.

"Well, now that you're here, you can take a look at it," Rose said. "See if you want anything."

"I don't know if I should keep something," I said, uncomfortable. "Maybe you should just give everything back to his parents."

"Well, let me at least give you back the book Adrian once borrowed from you," Rose said.

She hurried out of the living room before I could respond and came back a few moments later with one of my favorite Western novels. I remember lending it to Adrian when he wanted to try out reading books for fun.

"He never finished it, you know," Rose said when she returned. "But he did try."

"I figured," I said smiling as she handed me back the book.

"I read it, though," she said.

I looked up in surprise. "Really?"

She gave me a soft smile. "Yeah. You were right. The book is better than the movie."

"You can keep it if you want," I told her.

"No, it's yours," she said. "And I know it's one of your favorites."

I was speechless for a moment. How did she know this book was one of my favorites? I guess she knew me a lot better than I'd thought. "Thanks, Rose," I said at last.

She smiled again. "You're welcome, Dimitri."

I smiled back, but it faded quickly as a thought entered my mind. _You should tell her what she wants to know, Dimitri. She deserves to know the truth._

I opened my mouth to tell her about Adrian, but then changed my mind at the last moment. Instead, I said, "Well, I guess I should be going now."

Her face fell. "Oh. Right. You have a plane to catch."

I looked at her, confused. What did that mean? _Does she not want me to leave?_ But I immediately bashed that idea. She probably didn't know what to do with herself now that Adrian was gone and just wanted some company to distract herself from the grief she must be feeling right now. _Well, I could give her that. I could be her distraction._

"You know what, I'm hungry," I said. "Can I still take you up on that offer to eat your lasagna?"

Her face brightened immediately. "Sure. You can have as much as you want."

I followed her to the kitchen, sat down on one of the bar stools at the kitchen island and watched Rose as she moved around the kitchen and heated up two plates of lasagna.

"I hope you'll like it," Rose said, handing me my plate as she sat down across from me. "If you don't, I didn't make it."

I chuckled. "I'm sure it'll be fine, Rose. Thanks." I took a bit and Rose looked at me expectantly. "It's good."

"Okay, you can have more if you want," she said. "I've got plenty. I've been giving it away to my friends because, honestly, I've had enough lasagna for five years, I think."

As we ate, we had small talk. It had been a really long time since I'd talked like this to Rose and it wasn't until now that I realized how much I'd missed talking to her. I wish I didn't have to feel guilty about it, but I did. Especially now that Adrian was gone.

"Thank you for the lasagna," I said as Rose walked me to the front door an hour later. "It was delicious."

"Thank you for staying, Dimitri," she said in a soft voice. "Truth to be told, I was feeling a little lonely. I'm glad you were here."

I gave her a warm smile. "You're welcome, Rose."

"Have a safe flight," Rose said, smiling back.

I didn't want to leave just yet, but I had no reason to stay. "Thank you."

I turned around and walked over to my rental car, wondering if this was the last time I'd ever see her again. Stealing one last glance at her, I got inside my car and drove away with a heavy heart.

* * *

 _I hope you liked this chapter. I know you all want answers to certain questions. Don't worry, they'll be revealed...in time ;)_

 _Have a nice day/evening! :)_


	5. Chapter 5

_Thank you for the reviews! This chapter will contain a flashback so keep an eye on the dates. All the flashbacks will be in chronological order so I won't confuse you guys (hopefully). ;)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy._**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 5**

 **DPOV – JUNE 7, 2012**

"How about this shirt?" Adrian asked, way too chipper, as he held up a new shirt. I think this was the sixth or seventh he'd shown me. "I think it brings out the color in my eyes. It's emerald green. Like my eyes."

"Uh huh, I can see that," I said, bored.

"So what do you think? This one or should I just go for the white one?" Adrian said, holding up a different shirt. "Or maybe the-"

"They're all fine! Just pick one," I said, rolling my eyes. "Jeez. What's happened to you? You usually never are this restless – and annoying – when you're going on a date."

"Well, this date is special," Adrian said with a grin.

"Right," I muttered darkly.

"I think I'll go for the white one," Adrian said as he walked into the bathroom and shut the door.

I let out a relieved sigh and picked up my book again. I didn't get far; a few moments later there was a knock on the door.

"Can you get that?" Adrian shouted through the door.

Reluctantly, I got up and opened the door. The girl standing in front of me took my breath away. Rose was wearing a deep red cocktail dress and black high heels. Her hair was swept to the side, lush curls cascading down her right shoulder.

"Oh, hi," Rose said, sounding surprised. "I thought this was Adrian's apartment."

I stepped back to let her in. "Uh, no. I live here too."

Rose gave me a hesitant smile. "I'm Rose."

I nodded. "Yeah, I remember you from the bar," I said, regretting saying that as soon as I'd finished my sentence. "My name's Dimitri," I added quickly.

"It's nice to meet you, Dimitri," she said politely.

"Likewise," I responded, forcing a smile onto my face. _Oh, kill me now!_ "Adrian should be ready soon."

Adrian never mentioned Rose was coming here, though. I thought the guy was supposed to pick up the girl, not the other way around. I would have picked Rose up for sure.

 _Ugh, stop with the jealousy. You don't even know the girl_ , I scolded myself.

"I was in the neighborhood so I told Adrian I'd come to his place – uh, I mean your place," she said. _Did she just read my mind?!_ Rose looked flustered and, damn, was it adorable. "So how do you know Adrian?" she asked, changing the subject.

"We've been best friends since we were kids," I answered. Her eyes widened a little and I rambled on, "I met him in third grade. I'd just moved here and I didn't know anyone, but he took me under his wing."

"Where are you from? I noticed the accent, but I didn't want to ask because I thought that'd be rude," Rose said, giving me an apologetic smile.

"I don't mind. I'm from Russia," I told her. "My parents moved back after I graduated from high school, together with my sisters."

Rose frowned. "Oh. Do you still see them often?"

"Once or twice a year," I answered. "I wish I could visit them more often, but I can't because of work."

"Are you a real estate agent like Adrian?" she asked.

I nodded.

"Do you work together?"

"No, I'm a broker. I, um, work for myself," I responded. "At first, I was working under another broker, but last year I decided to start out on my own."

"Wow, that's impressive," she said.

A smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

"I don't want to sound dumb, but what's the difference between a broker and a real estate agent?" she asked, flushing.

"Uh, brokers can work for themselves or hire real estate agents to work for them. Real estate agents can't work for themselves; they always have to work under a broker."

"Oh, I see," Rose said with a smile. "But why didn't Adrian become a broker like you?"

"He didn't want to take the extra classes, I guess," I said with a shrug. "What about you? Do you work or are you still in school?"

"I'm still in college," Rose answered, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. I looked at her, mesmerized, as she continued, "I'm in my second year. I'd like to become a high school teacher."

"Really? That's great-"

I cut myself off when the bathroom door opened and Adrian walked out. "I'm so sorry for the long wait, Rose," he said, kissing her cheek in greeting.

 _There goes my mood._

"It's fine," she said, looking at me.

"Well, let's go then," Adrian said, putting his arm around her waist. "See you later, Dimitri!"

Rose looked over her shoulder at me as they exited the apartment. "It was nice talking to you, Dimitri."

I smiled at her. "You too."

When the door closed behind them, I let myself fall onto the couch and groaned. _Seriously, Dimitri? Did it have to be her? For once, Adrian is trying to date someone and seems happy about it and you just have to ruin it by liking her as well? You don't even know her!_

I'd been telling myself all week that Rose might be a huge bitch and that it was a good thing that I didn't go over to her at the bar, but after talking to her I was sure she was just as nice as I'd expected her to be. She was nice and sweet and beautiful. And I liked her.

 _You don't like her,_ I chastised myself again. _You don't know her so how could you possibly like her?_

Ugh, I should have talked to her that night. Then it would be me who got to go out with her instead of Adrian. I don't think I'd ever been so jealous of him before.

And all because of a girl I barely knew.

 **RPOV – JULY 6, 2015**

I stared at the phone for about twenty minutes, trying to decide whether I should call or not. _Have you gone insane, Rose? You can't call him! Your fiancé just died and you're worrying about his best friend getting home safely!_

I already felt guilty even thinking about calling him. I shouldn't. I really shouldn't. He left and he'd probably never come back, and I should just leave it at that. I shouldn't seek him out.

I paced the floor, feeling restless, and kept glancing back at the phone. I should leave. I should do something to take my mind off him.

Knowing Lissa was at work, I called Mason to see if he was busy. It turned out he was busy; he was playing pool with Eddie at our hangout, a local bar. He invited me to come over, however, so I told him I'd be there in ten.

"How are you holding up?" Mason asked when I walked in.

"Fine," I sighed. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to hang out with him after all; he was probably going to worry about me all afternoon, asking me if I was doing okay. "How are you?"

"Good," he replied.

He gave me a hesitant look and started to say something else, but I cut him off, forcing a smile onto my face. "Really, Mase, I'm fine."

"See, Mason, I told you not to worry," Eddie said, though his smile was forced. I knew he worried about me as well, but at least he didn't show his concern the way Mason did.

After a couple of hours, I called it quits. Mason was still eyeing me with apprehension and worry written all over his face and it was really starting to get on my nerves. All it did was reminding me of what happened to Adrian and that was the last thing I wanted. If I wanted to get through this, I needed to not think about my dead fiancé. _My dead fiancé who might have been sleeping with other women_ , an unwelcome voice whispered in my head.

"Oh, shut up," I muttered to myself, irritated.

"Hmm?" Mason said.

"Nothing," I said quickly. Grabbing my jacket, I started to leave. "Thanks for the afternoon. See you guys later," I added, waving at my friends before exiting.

When I got back home, I regretted leaving so soon. Being here on my own in this big house, which only reminded me of Adrian, was probably worse than being confronted with Mason's pitying glances at me all the time.

Come to think of it, I probably would have to move out soon. I couldn't afford a house like this – not on my own. Honestly, I didn't mind that I'd have to leave. This house was just another reminder of Adrian and I didn't need that.

But where the hell was I supposed to go, then? I guess I could stay with Lissa and Christian for a while until I'd figured it out. I might be able to find a new place before I'd have to move out.

Restless again, I called Lissa to ask if she had something to do tonight. "I was wondering if you'd like to watch a movie tonight," I said. "I already have the booze and nibbles. And you can bring Christian of course."

"I'm sorry, Rose, but we can't tonight," Lissa said apologetically. "It's my parents' anniversary. We're having dinner with them tonight."

"Oh. Okay," I said, a little bit too cheerful to be convincing. "That's fine! Have fun!"

There was a pause. "You could come along if you want to. My parents wouldn't mind. In fact, I think they'd be happy to see you again. It's been so long!"

"I know, but I think I'm going to pass," I answered. "I don't want to ruin their anniversary."

"You could never ruin their anniversary, Rose."

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't feel like going out tonight, Liss. I'm sorry."

"No, it's fine. I understand," Lissa said. "You going to be okay?"

"Yeah. Don't you worry about me," I told her. "Have fun tonight. And say hi to your parents for me," I added. "Bye."

With a sigh, I disconnected. Well, it seemed like it would be just me tonight. I glanced around the room, not sure what to do, and my eyes landed on the framed picture of Adrian and me hanging on the wall. It was taken two years ago, on our vacation in Florida. We looked so happy together. Was it possible he'd been seeing other women back then?

The question whether Adrian had been cheating on me or not was still plaguing me. Glancing down at my left hand, I took off my engagement ring and placed it in my palm. If it was true Adrian had been cheating, then why would he have proposed to me?

I turned the ring over, then slid it back on. Deciding to put myself out of my misery, I dialed Abby's number and waited. Five seconds passed and then, "Hello, this is Abby."

"Hi," I said, my heart thumping in my chest. "This is Rose Hathaway. You don't know me, but I am…" Shit, what was I going to say? If I told her I was Adrian's fiancé she would definitely hang up on me. "I'm a friend of Adrian's," I blurted out.

"Adrian?" She sounded suspicious. "How do you know him?"

"Uh, that's a long story," I said, brushing off her question. "I have a few questions involving Adrian. I was wondering if you might want to meet so we can talk."

"How did you get my number? Wait, are you some crazy ex? Did you steal Adrian's phone?" she exclaimed in outrage. "I've been trying to reach him, but he won't return my calls."

"Don't worry, I'm not some crazy ex," I muttered dryly. "I'll explain everything. That is, if you're willing to meet me."

"What do you need to explain?" Abby said impatiently. Then she added, worry in her voice, "Did something happen to Adrian? Is that why you want to talk to me?"

"I can't explain over the phone," I told her. "So will you please meet me?"

"Fine," she said reluctantly. "Tell me where and when and I'll be there."

"Thank you."

After giving her an address to meet, I hung up and breathed a sigh of relief. I was going to get some answers at last.

* * *

 _So Rose is going to meet Abby. How do you think that'll go? ;)_

 _I know the chapter was short, but I'm writing the next one and I'm pretty sure it'll be finished before the weekend is over so I'll update it on Sunday or Monday. School starts on Tuesday so I won't be able to update as frequently anymore. I'll try to update at least once a week, but I'm not making any promises. Hopefully, you'll understand. :)_

 _Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter! I hope you have a wonderful weekend! :)_


	6. Chapter 6

_Thank you for your reviews! :)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy._**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 6**

 **RPOV – JULY 8, 2015**

"Thank you so much for meeting me."

Abby Badica was a tall, blond girl with big blue eyes. She also had a big rack and a firm ass so I could see why Adrian had liked her.

"No problem," she responded. The smile on her face was forced. "So what did you want to tell me about Adrian?" she asked as she sat down across from me.

The waitress came over to take our order. When she left, I said, "First I'd like to tell you that I haven't been completely honest with you."

She looked at me in confusion. "What do you mean? You aren't Adrian's friend?"

"Yes and no," I said after a pause. "I am…" I hesitated, then said quickly, "Please don't walk away as soon as I've said it. Just hear me out, okay?"

"Okay," she said after a moment of consideration.

"Okay," I said, feeling a little nervous. I was finally going to find out the truth about Adrian. A part of me was scared to death to know that truth, but another part of me just wanted to get it over with so I could move on. "I'm not Adrian's friend. I am…was…his fiancé."

Her eyes widened a little, then an outraged look crossed her face. "Oh my God, you _are_ his crazy ex-girlfriend, aren't you?!"

"No," I said as she started to get up. "Just listen to me. _Please_ ," I added with forced politeness when she raised her eyebrow at me.

She regarded me coolly. "Fine. Go on."

"Adrian was my fiancé and-"

" _Was_?" she cut me off, her interest piqued.

I sighed deeply. "Yes." I paused, looking down at my hands for a moment. Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to cry. The waitress returned with our drinks. I waited until she'd left until I continued, "I'm afraid I have some bad news."

Abby frowned, then shifted in her seat, looking uncomfortable. "W-what do you mean?" she asked hesitantly.

"Adrian passed away just over a week ago," I said quietly. "That's why he hasn't returned your calls. I'm sorry."

Why the hell was I apologizing to her? I shouldn't have to, but here I was doing it anyway. Who knows how long Adrian had been seeing her? Maybe she really did care for him; maybe not. But from the way she was looking at me now, I'd say she was upset.

"What?" Abby exclaimed, her eyes wide in shock as she put her hand over her mouth. "H-he's dead?!"

I nodded.

"H-how?" she asked, her voice wavering.

She looked like she was about to cry. Apparently, she wasn't the ice queen I pegged her to be when she first walked in.

"He had a stroke," I answered.

"A stroke? At his age?" she said. "That's absurd!"

"That's what happened," I said.

"Oh God, I can't believe this," she said as tears streamed down her cheeks.

I searched through my purse for some tissues whilst blinking away my own tears. I handed them to Abby. She gave me a grateful smile and blew her nose.

"Poor Adrian," she sniffled.

"I didn't realize you two were so close," I said, observing her.

"We're not that close. We met a few weeks ago at a party, but I liked him right away. He asked to see me again and-" She cut herself off, an alarmed look on her face. "How do you know about me? If it's true that you are his fiancé – I mean, _were_. Sorry," she added sheepishly.

I waved away her apology. "I was going through Adrian's stuff when I found your number in his suit. I didn't recognize it so I dialed it from Adrian's phone and-"

"Oh, so that was you?" she gasped.

I nodded. "I didn't know what to say, though, so I hung up. And I didn't know what to think either."

"I figured he had a girlfriend somewhere," she admitted with a shrug. "I mean, he was very handsome. So why wouldn't he have a girlfriend? But I never knew he was engaged. He never told me about you."

"Of course not," I muttered, more to myself than her. Clearing my throat, I said in a louder voice, "So when you met him, what happened?"

"We spent the night together," she admitted hesitantly, biting her lip.

My heart sank and I felt like someone had just punched me in the gut. So it was true. Adrian had been cheating on me. _Do not fall apart. Not now. Not here. Wait until you're home to cry._

Closing my eyes for a brief moment, I managed to say, "Okay. When did this happen?"

"About a month ago."

A month ago he'd had another conference. Had that been a lie of did he meet her after the conference? Like Dimitri had told me before, I would have to check with Adrian's broker.

"Did you meet him again after that night?" I asked, my voice shaking a little.

She nodded. "Just once. He said he wanted to go out again and we were supposed to meet next week, but I never heard from him again," she added. Looking down, she mumbled, "Now I know why."

"I'm sorry you had to find out like this," I said.

She stared at me with those big blue eyes, then shook her head. "No, I am sorry. I honestly didn't know that he was engaged. If I'd known…" She paused, considering her answer. "Well, I don't think I'd have changed my mind about him," she mumbled, shrugging apologetically.

"Well, thanks for your honesty," I said, not sure what to reply to that.

"However, I'm very sorry for your loss," Abby added. "I barely know him and I'm already so upset so I can't imagine what you must be going through right now."

"Thank you," I replied, a little surprised by her admission.

"Well, if I've answered all your questions, I'd really like to go now," she said quietly.

"Of course. Thank you for your time," I answered politely.

She gave me a small smile, then hurried out of the café. I watched her cross the street and get into her car before racing away. I hoped she was going to be okay.

 _What the hell am I thinking? She was screwing my fiancé!_

Sighing, I asked for the bill and left as well. My mind was still spinning with this new information about Adrian when I got home. I felt angry and hurt and…sad. Why would he do this to me? Why would he cheat? I would never know the answer and that's what I hated most of all.

My first instinct was to call Dimitri and tell him what Abby had told me. What would he have to say about this? Would he even believe me?

But no. I couldn't call him – I shouldn't. If I wanted to call someone, it should be Lissa. She would know what to do. But I didn't want to be pitied. I didn't want to be comforted right now. I just wanted to be alone.

Furious, I ran upstairs and into my room, slamming the door shut. I let myself fall on my bed, buried my face in my pillow and screamed. I could no longer hold back my tears; they streamed down my cheeks. Soon, I was sobbing uncontrollably.

I stayed there, curled up in bed, until I had no more tears left to cry. When I was done, I stared at the ceiling. I was hungry, but didn't want to get up. I wanted to stay in bed and never get up again. At long last, I fell asleep, forgetting about my misery for a while.

I stayed in my bed even days after. I only got up to eat, drink and go to the bathroom. I spent my time sleeping and staring at the ceiling, feeling empty. I wondered if this was what depression felt like.

On the third day, I woke up with a start when the doorbell rang continuously for a full minute. I bet it was Lissa; she'd called me several times already.

When I didn't get up, I heard her yelling, "ROSEMARIE HATHAWAY! OPEN THIS GODDAMN DOOR RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR TO GOD I WILL BREAK IT DOWN MYSELF!"

Lissa almost never cursed and she never used my full name unless she was pissed at me.

"I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE, ROSE!" she continued to scream.

Groaning, I rolled out of bed, knowing she'd never leave if I didn't open the door and show my face. Lissa's eyes widened in shock when she saw me. "What happened to you, Rose?"

"Life, I guess," I muttered, shuffling back inside.

"I've been so worried about you," Lissa said, following me back to my bedroom. She scrunched up her nose when she took in the mess in the room. "Is this where you've been hiding these past few days?"

"Yep."

"Why?" she asked.

I shrugged, then flopped back down on the bed.

"Just a few days ago, you couldn't stay in the house for too long because it'd drive you crazy and now all you're doing is lying in your bed," she said, frowning. "What's changed?"

"I guess I finally realized Adrian is never coming back," I sighed, not looking at her. I didn't know why I didn't just tell her about Abby. I should. It would make me feel better to spill my heart out. It was better than hiding in my bedroom all day long, wallowing in self-pity.

A look of sympathy crossed her face. "Rose…"

"Or maybe it's because I found out that Adrian was cheating on me," I blurted out.

Lissa was speechless for a moment as she stared at me, dumbstruck. "So it's true?" she exclaimed at last. "He was cheating on you with that Abby girl?"

I nodded. "I called her back. She agreed to meet me and, well, she told me everything I needed to know."

Lissa sat down next to me on the bed, shaking her head furiously. "That's awful, Rose! I'm so sorry. I wish you'd called me."

"I didn't feel like telling you yet," I mumbled. "Sorry."

"It's okay. I understand," she replied softly, putting her hand on my shoulder. "But you shouldn't have to lock yourself up because of this. It's not your fault that Adrian was cheating on you."

"I know, but I needed to be alone for a while. To process it all."

"So how long had Adrian been sleeping with her?" Lissa asked hesitantly.

"A few weeks. They've only seen each other a couple of times," I told her. "They met when Adrian was away at a conference – if that's true."

Tears welled up in my eyes and I buried my face in my hands, my shoulders shaking with silent sobs. Lissa put her arms around me and I rested my head on her shoulder.

"I'm sorry, Rose," she murmured, hugging me tightly.

"Don't be," I muttered. "I guess I deserve it."

She gave me an incredulous look. "What?!"

"Lissa, you know as well as I do that I haven't been a saint either," I said between sobs. "Seriously, I don't have the right to be upset about this!"

"Yes, you do!" Lissa countered, almost outraged.

"No, I'm just as bad!"

"You never cheated on Adrian," Lissa exclaimed. She paused, hesitating. "Not really."

"I might as well have!" I cried out. "So what gives me the right to be angry at Adrian for-"

"Rose, please stop," Lissa said desperately. "Don't do this to yourself. Please. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Then why am I feeling like this?" I shouted. "Why am I feeling so guilty?"

I shook my head, still crying. Fuck. Was I ever going to stop?

"You shouldn't feel like that, Rose," Lissa insisted. "You didn't do anything wrong. You were just _thinking_ about cheating on Adrian."

Somehow, that sounded even worse. "That doesn't really make me feel better, Liss."

She sighed. "I know."

I wiped my eyes. "Whatever. I don't want to talk about it anymore. I just want to forget everything for a while."

Lissa seemed deep in thought for a moment. Then she said, resolved, "Then we'll make you forget."

I looked at her in confusion. "What? That's not possible."

"Yes, it is." She shot up from the bed and clapped her hands together. "We're going out tonight and we're going to get wasted. How does that sound?" she said with a grin.

"I'm not in the mood to party."

"Not yet, but you will be," she said, still grinning, as she pulled me up from the bed and shoved me towards the bathroom. "You need a shower. I'll pick out your clothes while you freshen up."

"Seriously, Lissa, I don't want to go out," I protested.

"Rose," she said sternly. "We are going to go out and get drunk. We are going to make you forget about your problems. Just for one night. That's what you wanted, right?"

"Yeah," I said hesitantly.

"Alright. Get your butt in the shower, then!"

"Fine," I muttered reluctantly. "I'll go."

An hour later, after some serious grooming, I was ready to go. Sort of. I still didn't feel like going out, but maybe this was what I needed. A night to forget it all.

When I walked out of the bathroom, Lissa gave me a once-over and then grinned excitedly. She'd picked out a black top and a red, silk skirt. I hadn't worn the skirt in years because I thought it was a little short, but Lissa insisted it looked great on me.

"You look stunning, Rose!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me along to the front door. That excited grin was still on her face as she exclaimed, "Alright. Let's get drunk!"

Oh boy, I could already tell I was in for a hell of a night.

* * *

 _That was it for this chapter. Please leave a review and let me know what you thought about it. Have a great week! And for those who are going back to school, good luck and I hope you'll have a good year without too much stress and homework. :P_


	7. Chapter 7

_Thank you very much for your reviews!_ _This chapter we'll be going back in time again so here's a reminder to check the dates ;)_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 7**

 **RPOV – JUNE 16, 2012**

I looked around the club, restless, as I waited for Lissa to return with our margaritas. There was a long line at the bar. Nervously, I played with my phone. Suddenly, it lit up with an incoming text message from Adrian. _Wanna go out tomorrow night?_

I groaned inwardly and put my phone back into my purse. When I looked back up, Lissa was walking over to our booth.

"Thank you," I said as she handed me my margarita.

She slid into the booth, opposite me. "So tell me, how was your date with Adrian?"

I shrugged. "It was okay."

"That doesn't sound convincing," Lissa said, arching an eyebrow at me. "I thought you'd already gone out on two dates."

I took a sip of my margarita. "Yeah, but…" I shrugged again. "Well, you know I didn't want to go out with him in the first place."

"Why? Because of the tall, handsome guy at that bar?" she said teasingly.

"Maybe," I mumbled. Lissa gaped at me, stunned. I guess she hadn't expected that answer. Then she pursed her lips at me, not impressed with me right now. "He was really hot," I defended myself. "And his name's Dimitri."

Lissa's eyes widened in surprise. "How do you know his name?"

"Because I met him," I admitted. "When I went out with Adrian the first time."

I'd never intended to go out with Adrian and I'd told him so the night I'd met him at that bar. I'd been more interested in his friend – Dimitri. I'd thought he was interested in me as well, but he'd never made a move that night. And then his friend, Adrian, had come over and blatantly flirted with me while I'd made it clear I had no interest.

Even though my mind had drifted to the tall and very hot guy from the bar sometimes, his friend never crossed my mind again – that is, until I ran into him at the grocery store, where he badgered me to go out with him until I'd said yes just to make him stop talking. And, well, maybe because I wanted to meet his very hot friend.

And I did. I met Adrian's friend and now I really wished that _he_ had walked up to me that night at the bar instead of Adrian.

As if she was reading my mind, Lissa said, incredulous, "So you said yes to the date in the hopes of getting to meet his friend?"

I groaned. "Yes."

Lissa scowled at me. "Rose, that's not very nice!" Then a slow smile crept over her face. "But I like the way you think."

"Really? Because I kind of feel bad about it," I muttered.

She looked at me with sympathy. "What are you going to do now?"

"I don't know. Adrian keeps texting me. He wants to go out on another date tomorrow night," I sighed. "But how can I do that when I'm not interested in him in the least? It's so unfair to him."

"But if you don't you might not see this Dimitri guy again," Lissa told me. "Did you get to talk to him?"

"Yeah. He was very nice," I said smiling. "As I thought he'd be. And he has an accent!" I let out another sigh. "When I saw him at the bar, I thought he was interested in me, but I guess not. Otherwise he would have come over to talk to me, right?" Why the hell did I sound so desperate? I barely knew the guy so why did I like him? It was silly and _so_ unlike me. "Maybe it's better if I don't get to see him again. Either of them," I added.

"Or maybe you could give Adrian a chance – a real chance," Lissa said.

"I don't know," I muttered.

"He's handsome as well," Lissa said.

"Yeah, I guess," I said with a shrug.

"Is he nice?"

"Yeah. But he is too…" I searched for the right words. "He's trying too hard," I said at last.

"That means he really likes you!" Lissa said with a smile.

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Why don't you just try with him?" Lissa said. "What do you've got to lose?"

"Alright," I acquiesced, downing the rest of my margarita. "I guess another date wouldn't hurt."

But still I couldn't get Dimitri out of my mind.

 **RPOV – JULY 9, 2015**

I woke up with a strong headache. I really should stop drinking so much. It's what killed Adrian – well, it was one of the things that killed him. And right now, I wished it would kill me too.

I groaned, holding my thumping head in my hands. Slowly, I sat up in bed and a wave of nausea rolled over me. I shot up from the bed and sprinted to the bathroom. I made it just in time and threw up everything I'd drunk the previous night. It was a lot. _Damn Lissa and her brilliant ideas!_

"Rose?" I heard Lissa croak out. "Are you okay?"

"No," I moaned when I returned to my bedroom. Lissa lay curled up on my bed, her head between her knees. "You?"

"No," she groaned. "My head feels like it's going to explode."

Carefully, I lay back down on the bed and let out a sigh. "I'm never drinking so much again."

"Me neither," Lissa muttered. Slowly, she raised her head and squinted her eyes at me. "You look awful."

I scoffed. "So do you."

Lissa burst out laughing, then grimaced. "Ouch. My head."

"You want something for your headache?" I asked.

"Yes, please."

"If you look in the medicine cabinet, you'll find some Advil. Please give me some too," I said. "I don't want to get up again, because I might throw up if I do – _again_."

"Okay," Lissa murmured.

When she returned with the Advil a few minutes later, she lay back down next to me.

"So did you forget?" Lissa asked me after a few moments of silence had passed.

"No, I didn't," I sighed. The booze didn't make me forget about Adrian's secret meetings with Abby at all. "I remember everything."

"Oh, that sucks," Lissa said with a frown.

I shrugged. "It's okay." Turning my head, I looked at her. "Despite how I feel right now, I had fun last night. Thank you."

She smiled at me. "I had fun, too."

A comfortable silence fell over us and I'd almost fallen back asleep when Lissa said quietly, "Do you still feel guilty?"

For a moment I was confused, but then I remembered our conversation from last night. "Yeah."

Lissa sighed, then rolled over to her side and looked at me. "I still don't understand why." When I didn't answer, she continued, "You never did anything wrong."

I cut her a look, hoping she'd shut up about it, but she didn't.

"So what if you had feelings for someone else when you first started dating Adrian? It's not like you were exclusive back then," Lissa said. "And it was only in the beginning-"

"I don't want to talk about this anymore, Lissa," I cut her off. "It doesn't matter anymore anyway."

"Apparently it does still matter to you."

"Please, Liss," I said, glaring at her. "Just…stop."

"Fine," she replied, looking away from me. "I won't mention it again."

"Thanks," I said, relieved.

"Hmm," Lissa muttered.

"Let's go back to sleep now," I mumbled, pulling the covers over me. "Can you shut the curtains? The sunlight is bothering me."

"Why don't you do it yourself?" Lissa said, sounding annoyed.

"I would, but I don't want to vomit on you when I get up," I shot back.

"Ugh, fine! I'll do it!" I knew she was rolling her eyes at me right now, but she got up nonetheless and closed the curtains before climbing back into bed.

I smiled. "Thanks, Liss."

Lissa grumbled a response and pulled the covers over her as well. I closed my eyes; it didn't take long for me to drift off to sleep again.

When I woke up a few hours later, my headache wasn't as bad anymore. The nausea had subsided as well. Lissa was still asleep next to me so I decided to let her be. Quietly, I left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen, where I filled myself a glass of water.

I almost dropped the glass when the doorbell rang loudly. The sound was far too harsh for my ears right now so I hurried over – hoping the noise hadn't woken Lissa up – and opened the door.

"Hey Rose," Christian said, giving me a small smile.

"Christian, hi," I said, surprised to see him.

"Is Lissa still here?" he asked.

"Uh yeah, how do you know?" I asked, letting him inside.

"She texted me last night that you two were going out. I figured she'd stay the night here," Christian explained. "I came to check on her. Her shift at the hospital starts in a few hours."

"Oh. She's upstairs, sleeping," I told him.

"Mind if I go wake her up?" Christian asked.

I shook my head. "Be careful, though. She's usually not in a good mood after a hangover."

Christian smiled knowingly. "Oh, don't worry about me. I've dealt with that before."

"Be my guest, then."

I followed him upstairs, in case he needed back-up.

"Lissa told me about Adrian's, umm, mistress," Christian said quietly, glancing over at me, "or whatever she is. I'm sorry. You okay?"

"Honestly, no not really, but I will be," I told him, forcing a smile onto my face.

"You didn't deserve that," he continued in a soft voice.

 _Maybe I did._

"Thanks," I mumbled, feeling a little uncomfortable.

"I didn't know, by the way," Christian said. "I had no clue. Honestly."

"I know you didn't know," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "No one did, apparently. Not even Dimitri."

"How would he know? He hadn't talked to Adrian in ages," Christian responded.

"I know, but if there's anyone who knows Adrian it's him," I explained with a shrug.

"Right," he sighed.

We stopped at my bedroom door and Christian looked over at me. "You think she's going to be angry?"

"That depends on her hangover. She was a little bit irritated earlier," I answered, giving him an apologetic look.

Christian took a deep breath and muttered under his breath, "Okay, here goes nothing." He knocked loudly on the door, then walked inside. "Lissa, it's time to wake up," he said, gently touching her shoulder.

Lissa groaned and shrugged his hand away. "Go away."

Christian sighed. "It's Christian, baby. You've gotta get up. You have a shift in two hours."

"No," Lissa moaned. "Leave me alone."

"But Liss-"

"Ugh, just let me sleep for five more minutes, okay?" she snapped, pulling the covers over her face.

"Alright," Christian agreed quickly. "Five more minutes. But that's all you get," he warned.

Lissa muttered something unintelligibly, then started snoring softly.

"How much did you guys drink last night?" Christian asked, astonished. "I've never seen her like this before."

"It was a lot. And it's my fault, I guess," I admitted. "Lissa was just trying to cheer me up last night. We got carried away…"

Fifteen minutes later, Christian finally managed to drag a very reluctant Lissa out of bed. Still grumbling, Christian walked her to his car.

"See ya," I called after them.

When they were gone, I went back to bed right away. I needed another nap if I wanted to live through this day.

I didn't hear much from my friends the next few days. I guess they were all caught up in work. Unlike Mason and me, they didn't get time off during the summer. And that sucked because I had way too much time on my hands and nothing else to do but feel sorry for myself and feel guilty at the same time. God, I was pathetic.

Mason took me to see a movie one night, but that didn't make me feel much better. Honestly, I just felt worse when I was around him. Don't get me wrong, I loved Mason like a brother, but ever since Adrian died he just kept looking at me as if I was some fragile doll that could break at any moment. It was annoying.

And I had enough of it.

"God, Mase, will you stop that already?" I burst out after the movie as we walked down the street.

He looked startled. "What?"

"Stop giving me that look," I said, waving my hands around. "It's annoying the hell out of me!"

"What do you mean?" he asked, confused. "What look?"

I stopped walking.

" _That_ look," I said, frustrated. "The one you're giving me right now."

He frowned. "I'm just worried about you, Rose."

"I know, Mase. I know you mean well and I appreciate you being here for me, I really do," I told him, not wanting him to misunderstand, "But I don't want you looking at me like I'm going to break down any second from now. I am not going to break down," I added fiercely. _At least not in front of you. That would be embarrassing,_ I thought. "So please…don't worry so much about me. I'll be fine."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, looking up at me with his blue puppy dog eyes. "I didn't mean to… I'm sorry," he repeated.

I sighed. "It's fine, Mase. Just stop giving me that look, okay?"

"Okay."

I smiled at him.

"You'd tell me, though, if you weren't feeling okay?" he asked hesitantly.

I looked up into his freckled face. "If I really wasn't fine, I would tell you."

"And if you'd like to talk about it, I'm always available," he added carefully.

"Thanks for the offer, but I don't want to talk about it," I told him. "And I don't want to be reminded of it every second of the day so that's why I don't want you looking at me like that anymore."

"Okay, I get it," Mason said after a pause. "I'll stop worrying about you so much. But," he added, "if you promise me you'll come to me if you need to talk or…whatever. If you need anything – anything at all."

He looked at me gravely and I sighed. Sometimes I wished he wasn't so protective of me, but I loved him all the more for it.

"I promise, Mason," I said earnestly. I took a step towards him and hugged him. "Thank you for being here for me."

"You're welcome, Rose," he mumbled.

I pulled away from him and started walking again. We went for some ice cream before Mason took me home.

When the next week rolled in, I was surprised to get a call from Lissa at seven in the morning. Didn't she have a shift at the hospital this morning? And why the hell was she calling me so early? Surely, it couldn't be that important that she had to deprive me from sleep!

"Rose, pack your bags and be ready in ten!" she chirped through the phone.

"E-excuse me?" I spluttered, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.

"You heard me, pack your bags," she said, way too cheerful at this time of day. "Skirts, tank tops, bikinis… Stuff like that. Pack it all in."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because we're going on vacation!" she said in a sing-song voice. "To a very warm and sunny place."

"Say what?!"

"Yep! So get up and get dressed, girl!" she said merrily. "We're picking you up in a few so be ready!"

"But – I don't want to-"

"See ya soon!"

"What the actual fuck?" I muttered to myself, scowling, as she disconnected. I scrambled out of bed and pulled on some clothes before dashing down the stairs. I swear to God, if this was some sort of joke…

But it was no joke. Ten minutes later Christian parked his car in my driveway and he followed Lissa to my front door.

"Are you ready?" she asked, a huge grin on her face.

I looked over her shoulder, astonished. "Are that Mason and Eddie in the car?"

"Yep, they're coming as well!" she chirped.

"Where to?" I asked.

She smiled knowingly. "That's a surprise. Have you packed your bags?"

"No."

She scowled at me. "Rose!"

"What? I want to know where we're going!" I demanded.

"No, you'll know when we get there," Lissa insisted. "Christian, help me pack her bags."

"Hey!" I protested. "I don't-"

"No arguing," Lissa said, shushing me, as she pointed her finger at me. "Go wait in the car. We'll pack for you."

Knowing there was no point in arguing against her, I stamped towards the car and got into the backseat next to Eddie, slamming the door shut.

"Hey," Eddie and Mason said in unison.

"Hey," I muttered, crossing my arms. "Do you guys know what the hell is going on here?"

Eddie smiled. "Yes, but we aren't allowed to tell you."

"That's so unfair!" I huffed.

Eddie chuckled. "Stop acting like a child and relax. Enjoy the ride."

"I'd like to know where this ride is going," I replied stiffly.

"You'll know when we get there," Mason said, trying to hide his smile.

"You sound like Lissa," I told him, sticking out my tongue. Now I really was acting like a child!

Eddie started laughing outright. I elbowed him in the ribs, making him yelp, and smiled reluctantly. Lissa and Christian came back fifteen minutes later with my suitcase. They put it in the trunk of Christian's car and then got in.

"I can't believe you guys are kidnapping me!" I grumbled as they backed out of my driveway. "Can you at least tell me when we're coming back?"

"That's up to you," Lissa answered.

"Oh, then I'd like to go back now, please," I said sweetly.

"Ha ha," Lissa said, turning in her seat to look at me. "We'll be gone for at least a week."

My eyes widened in shock. "A week? Don't you have to work?"

She grinned. "We all took some time off, so yes, we'll be gone at least a week. It's supposed to be a vacation, Rose. A real one. Where you can relax and have fun with your friends."

"Fine," I gave in.

But when we arrived at the airport, I started to protest again. "We're going by plane? Where the hell do you think you're taking me?"

"Just a few more hours, Rose, then you'll know," Christian said. "If I were you, I'd just roll with it."

"Ugh, fine," I said, frustrated.

I was silent as they dragged me into the airport. An hour later, we were on a plane to L.A. What the hell were we supposed to do in L.A? But I didn't ask any more questions; my so-called friends weren't going to answer them anyway.

When we arrived in L.A., we drove for one more hour in a rental car. Our destination turned out to be Malibu Beach.

"Are you kidding me?!"

I gaped at the houses – no, mansions – we passed. This place was for rich people. What the hell was I doing here?

"Did you rent a house here or what?" I asked Lissa. I don't think Lissa could have rented a place like this, not even for a week, but maybe her parents had helped her out…

She smiled. "No, we're staying for free."

"For free?" I exclaimed in surprise.

We stopped at a large, white wooden house with a wide front porch. A black, sleek car was parked in the driveway.

"Holy shit," I said as I gaped at the house.

I glanced at my friends and they were staring in wonderment at the house as well. Slowly, I followed my friends out of the car. Grabbing our suitcases, we walked over the front door. Lissa took out a key and unlocked the door.

"I don't know if he's here. Let's just go inside," she said to Christian.

"Who's _he_?" I asked curiously.

Of course, I didn't get an answer.

Inside, the house looked even bigger. Just like outside, the walls were painted white. My eyes were wide as I looked around the living room, at the large flat screen TV on the wall. I ran my hand along the light blue sofa. My God, the cushions were so soft! There was also a fireplace in the room. I walked into the kitchen, which was just as big as the living room. It was surrounded by glass panels that looked out onto the beach. As I walked back into the foyer, I noticed a bathroom.

Starting to get excited, I walked up the stairs. I counted four bedrooms – four! – and one more bathroom. I walked inside, curious as ever, and gasped. I don't think I'd ever seen such a stylish bathroom before! Glass tiles, glass walled shower… Holy shit!

I walked back to my friends, still in shock. "Who's place is this?! He must be one rich guy to afford a place like this!"

"It's mine."

I stilled as soon as I heard the familiar voice. My eyes widened and, slowly, I turned around. Before me stood Dimitri, a warm smile on his face.

"Hello again, Rose."

* * *

 _I know most of you were hoping for a party scene, but as you can see I skipped that part. Sorry :P But to make it up to you, Dimitri's back and he'll be around a lot more now! So for those who are wondering, there will be more Romitri from now on ;)_

 _Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter. I hope you all have a nice week! :)_


	8. Chapter 8

_Thank you very much for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 8**

 **RPOV – JULY 13, 2015**

I stared at Dimitri, rendered speechless. _What the hell?_ Was this his place? Did _he_ live here? Oh my God.

"Dimitri," I breathed, blinking. "I – I didn't know you owned this place."

"Well, now you do," Dimitri said, still smiling.

"But this is…" I paused. "Well, it's amazing."

"Glad you like it. Did you have a good flight?" he asked.

I looked at my friends, then back at him. "You planned this with them?"

"I called him," Lissa spoke up. "I told him you needed a vacation and asked if we could stay here for a while."

"You didn't have to do that for me," I said, embarrassed. From the corner of my eye, I glared at Lissa. She looked back at me innocently.

"I don't mind," Dimitri said with a shrug. "Shall I take you to your room?"

"Uh, sure," I said, still feeling a little overwhelmed.

"Lissa and Christian, you can have the first room," Dimitri told them. "Sorry, but you two will have to share a room," he added, looking at Eddie and Mason. "Is that a problem?"

"Not at all," Eddie replied.

"Okay. You can have the one across from Lissa's and Christian's."

Dimitri took my suitcase, ignoring my protests. I followed him up the stairs and to the end of the hallway. He opened a door and let me inside.

"Wow, this room is huge," I said, impressed, as I glanced around. There was a king-sized bed, a desk and a chair, an ottoman and a–

"Oh my God, I have a balcony?!" I exclaimed excitedly.

"You like it?" Dimitri asked.

I beamed at him. "Yes. Thank you."

He smiled again. "Great. I'll let you settle in."

He left, closing the door behind him. A huge smile crossed my face and I ran out onto the balcony, taking in the amazing view of the beach. Holy shit! I still couldn't believe Dimitri owned this house.

I knew real estate agents could make _a lot_ of money if they were good at their job, but Dimitri must be better than good if he was able to afford a place like this. It shouldn't surprise me, really. Dimitri's work ethics had always been very high, unlike Adrian's. Not that Adrian hadn't been good at his job; he'd just never wanted to put too much effort into it if it wasn't necessary.

When I was done unpacking, I went to Lissa's room. I knocked on the door, then walked in – and I wished I hadn't because Lissa and Christian were making out on the bed.

"Eww!" I exclaimed, taking several steps back. "Stop that! There are people here!"

"You should have knocked before you walked in!" Christian shot back.

"I did!"

"I guess I didn't hear you, then," he replied, a smug grin on his face.

Lissa looked embarrassed at being caught. "What's up, Rose?"

I glanced at Christian. "Could you leave the room for a moment? I need to talk to Lissa in private."

Christian looked incredulous. "Seriously? I need to leave my own room?"

"It isn't yours. It's Dimitri's room. So please, get your ass off that bed and leave," I said sweetly.

"Just go, Christian," Lissa said. "I'll meet you downstairs."

"Fine," Christian muttered unhappily.

When he'd shut the door behind him, I glared at Lissa. "I can't believe you took me to Dimitri's house! What the hell were you thinking?"

Lissa shrugged. "This is the perfect place for a vacation and Dimitri didn't mind."

"But I do," I hissed at her. "How could you bring me here?"

"I thought you said this place was amazing," Lissa said, playing dumb. "You don't like it anymore?"

"It's not about the freaking house, Lissa!" I exclaimed. Lowering my voice, I continued, "It's about Dimitri. You know I can't be around him."

"Why not? You two seemed to be getting along fine when he visited you," Lissa said with a shrug. "You even asked him for help."

"I needed answers and I thought he could give them to me," I told her. "That's all it was."

"Then why are you making such a big deal about this?" Lissa said.

"Are you seriously asking me that? You know why!" I retorted. _Well, you know most of it._

Lissa rolled her eyes at me. "Oh, come on, Rose. It's all in the past now so stop making a fuss about it. Just relax and enjoy your vacation," she added with a smile.

I bit the inside of my cheek, not sure if I should tell her. I waited a few moments, then decided against it.

"Fine," I said with a sigh. "You win."

Lissa smiled triumphantly. "Good."

"Well, at least you don't have a balcony," I said smugly.

Lissa's eyes widened. "You have a balcony? I want to see it!"

When we finally went back downstairs, I searched for Dimitri. I wanted to thank him properly for letting us stay and I wanted him to know that I had absolutely nothing to do with this. I found him on the deck, watching the waves wash in and out.

"Hi," I said as I joined him on the deck.

He smiled at me. "Hi."

I shuffled around, feeling a little uncomfortable. "Thank you again," I said softly. "For letting us stay here."

"No problem," he answered.

"And for your information, I had no idea about any of this, I swear-"

"I know," he cut me off gently. "I think Lissa's right. You need a little vacation."

I wanted to tell him that I would have been just fine if I'd stayed home, but I didn't want to start an argument. Not now.

"This place is truly amazing," I said after a few moments.

"You think so?" Dimitri said. "I bought it because Vika loved it so much. And she really likes the beach so…"

"You bought it because your sister liked it?" I said, incredulous.

He shrugged. "Yeah. The condo I lived in when I first moved to L.A. was too small for when my family visits so I decided to move and Vika chose this place so she can spend her summer at the beach."

 _Wow._

"So your family comes over every summer?" I asked.

He nodded.

"So where are they now?"

"Still in Baia," he answered.

"Because we are taking up all the space now?" I said. "Sorry about that."

He shook his head, smiling. "No, they'll be here in a few weeks."

"I didn't even know you'd moved," I said quietly. "I figured you still lived in the city. When did you move?"

"Almost a year ago," he replied.

"Oh. Then you didn't stay long in the city," I said.

Dimitri shook his head again.

We fell silent and I wondered if Adrian had known that Dimitri had moved again. Probably not.

"I guess it's my fault that you never knew I'd moved," Dimitri said softly, breaking the silence. Carefully, he glanced at me. "I should have called you to check in."

"No, I get it," I said. "So much happened and…" I shrugged. "You left to live your own life and that's perfectly fine."

"Still, I should have stayed in touch," Dimitri persisted.

"That would've made things only harder, don't you think?" I said, looking up at him. "For Adrian…" _For us_ , I thought. "Seeing as you two weren't speaking to each other anymore."

"I guess that's true," Dimitri said, his voice quiet.

Another silence fell, one full of tension this time. _Shit. Maybe I shouldn't have said that._ I wondered if it was always going to stay this weird between us. I wondered if we could ever be friends again - like we used to.

"Rose," Dimitri started slowly.

I turned to look at him and he was already looking at me, staring intently. I swallowed nervously as I gazed into his dark eyes. I knew what he was about to say was going to make this situation a lot more difficult – and probably awkward. A part of me wanted to run before he could speak a word, but another part of me wanted him to say the words I was so desperate to hear.

But before he could utter another word, Mason and Eddie walked out onto the deck, laughing. I tore my gaze away from Dimitri and looked down at the ground, my cheeks burning. _Fuck. What the hell were you thinking, Rose! What would Adrian have said if he saw you right now?_

"This place is awesome!" Mason exclaimed, grinning, as he put his arm around my shoulders. "Don't you think so, Rose?"

 _What the hell are you doing?_ I thought as I tried to shrug off his arm. I looked back at Dimitri, who regarded us silently.

"Uh, yeah," I muttered, forcing a smile onto my face as I stepped away from Mason. "It's terrific."

"Thank you for having us, Dimitri," Eddie said. "I hope it isn't too much trouble."

"Not at all. You're all welcome to stay for as long as you want," Dimitri said, still looking at me.

I gulped and quickly looked away, feeling uncomfortable again. Excusing myself, I hurried back inside. Christian was lounging on the couch, flipping through the channels on TV. I joined him, staring blankly at the TV screen. Vacation, Lissa had said. I think this 'vacation' was already causing me more stress than anything else.

"You okay?" Christian asked, startling me out of my reverie.

"Huh?"

"Are you okay?" he repeated.

"Yeah, sure," I said hastily. "You?"

He looked at me strangely. "Yeah."

Dimitri walked back inside and I straightened up, my heart racing. Was it going to be like this every time I was in the same room as him? Was I ever going to be able to relax around him? I wished Lissa had never brought me here.

Despite having missed Dimitri in my life, all I wanted right now was to go back home. But I couldn't do that. That would be rude and Dimitri didn't deserve that.

I spent the rest of the day avoiding Dimitri as best as I could, exploring Malibu beach with Lissa. I was feeling so confused and I wished I could talk to Lissa about it, but, like earlier today, she'd say I should give it a rest, that I should stop overthinking everything. She was probably right, but I still couldn't help but feel confused and I knew this was something I had to figure out on my own.

"You've been quiet," Lissa noted on our way back to Dimitri's house. "Are you still worrying?"

"Yes," I said honestly.

Lissa stopped walking, a serious expression on her face. "Do you want to go back home?"

I looked at her, surprised. "What? I thought you-"

"Yes," she cut me off gently, "but if it really bothers you that much we can go back home."

I was stunned. "Really?"

Lissa smiled. "Really."

Well, this was my chance to get away from Dimitri, to get rid of my confusion. But my friends had gone out of their way to come here with me. And now I was going to ruin their vacation because I didn't want to be here.

No, I couldn't be that selfish. I was going to stay here. I was going to enjoy my vacation with them. And Dimitri… Well, he was probably busy with work and wouldn't be around much. Hopefully.

"No, it's okay," I told her. "I'll stay."

Lissa started grinning. "Really?!"

I smiled reluctantly. "Yes, really."

She hugged me, excited. "Great!"

We resumed walking and arrived at Dimitri's house just in time for dinner. I skipped out on it; strangely, I wasn't feeling hungry at all.

As I started to retreat to my room, Dimitri caught up with me. "Are you okay, Rose?"

I stopped and looked at him. "I'm fine, thanks. I'm just tired so I think I'll be going to bed. Good night."

He looked unsure, but then said, "Okay. Good night, Rose."

I gave him a small smile, then hurried upstairs to my room. I closed the door behind me and let out a sigh, relieved that I was alone at last.

* * *

 _I know this chapter is super short, but I've been so busy with school these past few weeks and I fear that I won't have much time to write any more. But hey, I'll update as often as I can. My goal is still once a week, but it'll be on the weekends. I hope you are having a nice weekend! :)_


	9. Chapter 9

_First of all, thank you so much for your reviews, favorites and follows! :)_

 _Second, I'm so sorry for the late update. I know I was supposed to update last weekend, but I had the stomach flu, which I never have, but I guess it finally got to me. Anyway, I'm all better now so here's the new chapter ^^_

 _To that one guest reviewer: If you don't like the story (which is totally fine) don't read it. I don't mind constructive criticism, but you were just bashing my story, which is not fine. So yeah, stop reading it if you don't like it. That's all I have to say._

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy._**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 9**

 **RPOV – JULY 6, 2012**

Adrian was running late – again. He always did that when we went out on dates. Usually, it didn't bother me because it was only ten minutes or so. But tonight I'd already been waiting for him for over an hour. I'd called him a couple of times, but it always went straight to voicemail. I wondered if he was okay.

 _Ugh, don't worry, Rose,_ I thought, rolling my eyes. _It's Adrian. He probably forgot about tonight._

Well, if he wouldn't return my calls, there was nothing else to do than check the apartment. Maybe he was there.

But when I arrived twenty minutes later, Dimitri opened the door. His eyes widened in surprise when he saw me.

"Rose," he said, "what are you doing here?"

"Hi," I said awkwardly. _God, did it really have to be him? Where's Adrian?_ "Is Adrian around? We're supposed to go out tonight, but he's running late. Again," I added, a little annoyed. "I've tried calling him, but he doesn't answer."

Dimitri gave me an apologetic look. "No, he's not here. I'm sorry."

 _Then where the hell is he?!_

"Oh. Okay, thanks anyway," I said, turning away.

"If you want, you can wait for him," Dimitri called after me.

I stopped and turned back around. "I don't know…"

"He probably got caught up at work. Why don't you come inside and I'll try calling him?" Dimitri said.

"Okay," I said hesitantly, making my way back to the apartment. "Thank you."

I stopped in the middle of the apartment and wrapped my arms around myself, uncomfortable. Ugh, what was I doing? I should just go.

Even though I'd seen Dimitri a couple of times now, we hadn't talked since that first night I came down here. I guess that was my fault. I really wanted to give Adrian a chance and, in order to do so, I needed to avoid Dimitri. He just… I don't know, there was something about him, something that pulled me in, and I _so_ did not need that right now.

Because, surprisingly, things with Adrian were going great – despite the fact that he was always late. I mean, everyone had flaws. I did too. _Obviously_ , I thought as I glanced at Dimitri from the corner of my eye, nervous.

Anyway, Adrian and I had been dating for a couple of weeks now and I didn't want to jeopardize that – whatever it was that we had; I wasn't ready to call it a relationship yet – for a ridiculous crush – if you could even call it a crush – on someone I barely knew!

Okay, that didn't make sense, but whatever. I liked Adrian. He was charming and good-looking and he knew how to have a good time. All in all, I thought he was a great guy and he made me smile – most of the times. He was someone I could love, I think.

But then why did I have this thing for Dimitri? I didn't even know how to describe it. All I knew was that it was silly and ridiculous.

"He doesn't answer my calls either," Dimitri said, snapping me out of my reverie.

"Oh. Thanks for trying," I said, suppressing a sigh. After a moment of hesitation, I asked, "Do you think he's alright?"

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's still at work," Dimitri answered. "I wouldn't worry too much. He's always running late."

I smiled. "I know."

"You want something to drink while you wait?" Dimitri asked, walking over to the fridge.

"Water is fine, thank you," I said politely.

I took a seat on the couch and looked around the apartment, still feeling a little uncomfortable. I hoped Adrian would arrive soon. Dimitri came back with a glass of water for me and sat down on the other side of the couch.

An awkward silence fell, and I wanted to die. I don't think I'd ever been this nervous before around a guy. But why? What the hell was so different about Dimitri? He was just another guy.

 _Ugh, Rose, make some conversation. This is just…awkward._ But I didn't know what to say. Last time we were in this position, it was so easy to talk to him. Why couldn't it be easy now?

I noticed a book on the coffee table. I knew Adrian didn't read so it had to be Dimitri's book.

"Is this yours?" I asked. He nodded. "Is it good?"

"Yeah, but it's not for everyone," Dimitri replied.

"Why's that?" I asked curiously as I picked up the book.

"It's a Western."

"Ah. So you're into Westerns?"

I was intrigued. I don't think I'd ever met a guy who liked to read Westerns. Dimitri was so different in many ways from Adrian. While Adrian was outgoing and loud – _very_ loud at times - Dimitri seemed almost shy and quiet. They were complete opposites and somehow they were best friends. It boggled my mind.

"Uh yeah, I guess," Dimitri stammered, almost embarrassed.

"Is that what you'd like to be? A cowboy?" I asked with a grin, relieved I'd finally found something to talk about with him.

"No," he said quickly.

"You know what, I could picture you as a cowboy, swooping in to save some girl," I teased. "I think it'd suit you."

"Thanks?" It came out like a question.

I laughed. Deciding I should stop teasing him – poor guy – I said, "I once saw a western movie. Umm, I think it was called True Grit. I thought it was pretty good."

Dimitri looked surprised at that. "Really?"

"Yeah. Oh, and the one with Leonardo DiCaprio! What's it called again?"

"You mean Django Unchained?"

I grinned again. "Yes! That's the one!"

We launched into a discussion about the movie. Dimitri had read the books as well. His face lit up as he talked about it. I realized he was really passionate about this and I thought it was very sweet.

Just like that, the awkwardness disappeared. We talked and talked and I was really starting to ease up and so was Dimitri. I didn't understand why I had been nervous and uncomfortable in the first place.

When I started to feel hungry, I checked my phone again. I'd nearly forgotten about Adrian. He was two hours late now.

"I'm sorry about your date," Dimitri said after a few moments.

"It's fine," I said with a shrug. "I hope he's okay, though."

"I'm sure he is," Dimitri replied. "He does this all the time, really. Not one of his best traits, I guess."

My stomach rumbled loudly and I looked away in embarrassment. _Shit!_

"Shall I order some pizza?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"No, you don't have to do that for me."

"It's no trouble." I hesitated. "I'm hungry too," he added with a smile. "You can eat something while you wait for Adrian."

"Okay," I agreed at last, smiling. "Thanks."

I didn't hear from Adrian by the time our pizza was delivered. I sent him another text. When I didn't get a response, I decided to give up. So instead of worrying about Adrian's whereabouts, I ate my pizza and watched a movie with Dimitri.

Tonight turned out to be pretty fun. No thanks to Adrian, though. Dimitri was kind and sweet; he didn't mind me being here, for which I was glad. If I'd gone back home, I would have had a very lonely night. So I was glad I'd stayed.

When the movie was over, I started to get up. "I should probably go home. It's getting late," I said sighing. "Thank you for letting me wait here."

"You're welcome. I'm sorry Adrian didn't show up," Dimitri said, giving me an apologetic look.

"It's not your fault," I told him. "When he comes home, will you tell him-"

Just then, the door opened and Adrian stumbled inside. He looked drunk and seemed confused to see me here.

"Rose? W-what are you doing here?" he asked, surprised.

"You were supposed to meet me tonight," I replied coolly. "Where have you been? I've called you so many times!"

He still looked confused. "I – I was supposed to take you out?" Then his eyes widened in realization. "Oh. Shit."

I crossed my arms. "Yeah. But I hope you had fun, wherever you were tonight."

"Rose, I'm so sorry!" Adrian exclaimed. "I completely forgot! I was with some colleagues. They went out for drinks and asked me if I wanted to come along."

"Okay, well, I'm going now." I looked at Dimitri and smiled. "Thanks for tonight, Dimitri. Have a good night."

He returned my smile. "Good night, Rose."

I walked past Adrian briskly. I was relieved that he was okay, but I was furious that he had stood me up to get drunk with his colleagues. I would have been fine about it if he'd just told me!

"That was not cool, Adrian," I heard Dimitri mutter to Adrian. "She was really worried about you."

"Rose, I'm sorry!" Adrian called after me. As he stumbled towards me, he almost pushed over the chair. "I'm – I'm s-sorry," he said again, hiccupping. He was wasted.

"I don't want to talk about this right now. Call me when you're sober!" I called back. "Good night, Adrian!"

 **RPOV – JULY 14, 2015**

When I got up the next morning, I was starving. _That's what you get for not eating last night_ , I chastised myself. When had I ever skipped out on a meal? _Never._ Except for last night, of course.

Lissa and Christian were already in the kitchen when I got there, having a discussion. As soon as I joined them at the breakfast table, they fell silent.

"Don't stop talking because I'm here," I told them. "By all means, go on."

"We were just discussing what we should do today. I really want to go shopping, but Christian would rather stay here and watch TV," Lissa said, glaring at her boyfriend.

"Tough choice. I think I'd go for watching TV as well," I said, hiding my smile.

Christian grinned smugly and high-fived me.

"You guys are lame," Lissa complained. "The weather is great. Why would you want to stay inside all day long?"

"Fine, I'll go shopping with you," Christian said sighing. Lissa's face lit up immediately. "Anything for my sweetheart," Christian added, pecking her cheek.

"Gross," I muttered, scrunching up my nose.

"Are you coming with us, Rose?" Lissa asked, ignoring my comment.

"Eh, I think I'll pass," I said apologetically as I searched for a bowl in the cabinets. When I found one, I grabbed the milk and the muesli.

"Lucky bastard," Christian muttered.

Lissa pouted at me. "You should come, Rose. It'll be fun."

"Liss, I hate shopping and you know it," I answered, giving her a knowing look. "I'd like to stay here today. Maybe I'll go for a swim," I added with a shrug.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

I smiled before popping a spoonful of muesli into my mouth. "Yes."

"Okay, we'll stay in the neighborhood. But you have to come with me to The Grove this week," Lissa insisted.

"No way," I said immediately. "There's going to be tons of people there."

"But it'll be fun!" Lissa whined. "The Grove is _the_ place to shop! Even you will like it!" She looked at me pleadingly. "Please?"

"Ugh, fine. I'll go with you to The Grove," I gave in, hoping I wouldn't regret it. Christian snickered. "Don't laugh, you're coming as well," I told him. "Someone has to carry the bags. Isn't that right, Liss? Besides, it'll be more fun if we're going all together."

"Yes," Lissa agreed, nodding.

His jaw dropped open. "B-but I'm already going today."

I shrugged, barely able to contain my grin. "Tough luck."

"Wonderful," Christian muttered, crossing his arms.

"Where are Mason and Eddie?" I asked, changing the subject.

"They left early this morning to explore," Lissa replied. "They said they'd be back in a couple of hours."

"Oh, okay."

"And where's Dimitri? Did he already leave for work?" I asked casually. I didn't want to run into him today.

"I don't know. We haven't seen him yet this morning," Lissa said with a shrug.

Just then, Dimitri walked in. _Well, shit._

"Good morning," he said.

"Good morning," Lissa replied cheerfully. She glanced at Christian, then got up. "Well, we're going now! We have a long day ahead of us. Have a good day!"

What?! They were leaving me here alone with Dimitri?

I sighed and continued eating my muesli. As Dimitri sat down across from me, I lowered my eyes to the bowl in front of me, not daring to look him in the eye. But then I realized I was acting stupid. I should just talk to him and act around him like a normal person would. I was being silly.

"So, uh, how are you?" I asked.

"I'm good, thanks. How are you feeling?" he asked, a concerned look crossing his face.

"I'm okay," I answered with a shrug.

We ate in silence for a few moments while I wondered if I could talk to him about what I'd found out recently. I used to tell him all about my problems. He'd been a good friend of mine and he'd always been a good listener – better than Adrian had been, at least. Plus, he used to give me great advice. So why not tell him now?

"I met Abby last week," I blurted out.

Dimitri glanced up at me, surprised. "The girl from the phone number in Adrian's pocket?"

I nodded, biting down on my lower lip.

"And?" he asked, curious.

"And… It turns out I was right," I said after a pause. "He was cheating on me."

Dimitri looked down for a moment. "I'm sorry, Rose," he said quietly when he finally looked up at me again.

"You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault," I said.

"I know, but…"

"It's fine," I insisted. "I'm over the shock." _I think._

Dimitri still looked uncertain, but nodded. "What else did she tell you?"

"They met at a party and spent the night together," I answered, clenching my jaw as I squashed my muesli with my spoon. "Adrian wanted to see her again and she said yes. They were going to meet up again, but then Adrian died so that didn't happen," I muttered.

Dimitri looked at me with sympathy. "When did they meet?"

"A little over a month ago. During one of Adrian's conferences," I told him. "I checked with his broker and he told me Adrian had a conference the weekend they met so I guess it's true what she's told me." I pushed the bowl of muesli away; I'd lost my appetite. "God knows how many other women he met in secret when he was away."

"Rose, you can't think like that," Dimitri said. "Maybe it was just a one time thing. Maybe-"

"Didn't you just hear what I said?" I cut him off. "They met again after the conference." I sighed and buried my face in my hands. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just so…angry."

"It's okay. I understand," Dimitri said softly.

I looked up at him and gave him a small smile. "Thanks."

"So you think there are others?" Dimitri asked.

"I don't know. Maybe," I answered, shrugging. "I wish I could check Adrian's phone, but I broke it when I smashed it into the wall. I already went back to the store, but they can't fix it."

Dimitri arched an eyebrow at me.

"Don't give me that look," I said. "I was pissed."

"Sure. I get it. I'd be pissed as well," Dimitri said. "But I probably wouldn't smash the phone into the wall – not if that was my only way to find out more."

I smiled reluctantly. "Yeah, yeah, it was stupid. I know." Shaking my head, I let out a groan. "I just didn't expect that from him, you know? I knew he still flirted with women sometimes – I mean, it's Adrian we're talking about – but I didn't care about that because I knew he'd always come home to me. But now that I know that he's been with another woman while we were engaged? I wouldn't be surprised if there were more women."

Dimitri reached over the table and grabbed my hand, squeezing gently. "I don't know what to say or do to make you feel better, but I just want you to know that I'm here for you, Rose."

I smiled at him gratefully. "It's okay, Dimitri. Thank you."

He let go of my hand and I immediately wished he hadn't. _Ugh, I am no better than Adrian was._ Why did I feel this way around Dimitri? It must be because I hadn't talked to him like this in a long time. I knew I no longer had feelings for him – I hadn't in a long time now and I was happy about that. It was the way it was supposed to be – how it should have been from the start. I'd just missed him, that's all. I'd missed his friendship. That was all there was to it.

I loved Adrian. And despite his flaws, despite his cheating, I still loved him. And I missed him like crazy. I wished he was here. I wished he was here with Dimitri and me and that everything was like it used to be – before that one big fight between Dimitri and him. Everything had been perfect back then. Well, almost perfect.

"Do you miss him?" I asked softly as tears gathered in my eyes.

"Every day," Dimitri replied gravely.

"I miss him too," I whispered, blinking back my tears. "So much."

Dimitri got up from his chair and walked over to me. "It's going to be okay, Rose," he murmured, wrapping his arms around me. I buried my face into his chest and cried. "You're going to be okay. It won't happen today or tomorrow, but one day you'll wake up and the pain you're feeling right now will have faded. It'll still be there, but it won't hurt as much."

"How do you know?" I sobbed.

"Because I lost my father when I was young," he said quietly. "So I know what it feels like."

I looked up at him, shocked. "Y-you lost your father? God, I'm sorry. You never told me…"

Dimitri had never liked talking about his father and now I finally knew why. Honestly, I hadn't expected this. I'd always thought he disliked his father for some reason, but it turns out he was dead. Poor Dimitri. I didn't dare ask him how he'd died. I don't think he wanted to talk about it anyway.

"Don't worry about it," Dimitri said softly. "You should worry about yourself. Try and find a way to make yourself happy again. I know it's hard, but you should try. I really don't like seeing you so sad."

"I will," I sniffled. "Eventually. I just need some time."

"You can take all the time you need, Rose," Dimitri murmured, "but promise me you'll be happy again one day."

I smiled at him through my tears. "I will. I promise."

* * *

 **There you go. I hope you liked this chapter. And oh yeah, this time I won't be making Dimitri's dad horrible. And also, for the readers who have already read The Ruby Circle, Dimitri isn't related to Adrian in this story. They're just best friends ;)**

 **Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Have a nice day/evening! :)**


	10. Chapter 10

_Thank you so much for the reviews! And I'm sorry for updating so late again, I had the flu. AGAIN. Ugh. Anyway, I'm back again with a new chapter! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** **I do not own Vampire Academy.**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 10**

 **DPOV – JULY 15, 2015**

I'd always felt guilty for not telling Rose the truth about Adrian, but after what she'd told me yesterday the guilt was even worse. I knew I would have to tell her. She'd rather know the horrible truth than not know at all. But she'd probably hate me – again – as soon as I'd tell her. I didn't want her to hate me, not when she just started talking to me again, but did I have another choice?

I couldn't hide this any longer from her. I knew I'd promised Adrian I would never tell, that I would keep his secret, but he'd promised me that he would never ever make the same mistake again. But he did. And now Rose was heartbroken.

It tore me apart to see the woman I loved so broken and hurt. Yep, that's right. Even after all this time, even after convincing myself all year long that I didn't love her anymore, I still did. I loved her. I always have and I always would. Nothing was going to change that. And I knew she would never feel the same way, but I was fine with that. I'd accepted it a long time ago.

But losing her as a friend again? I don't think I was ready for that. I just got her back. It wasn't yet what it used to be – I wasn't even sure if we could ever get back to that – but it was better than nothing. And I didn't want to ruin it by telling Adrian's secret – a secret I should have told her as soon as I'd found out. But instead, I'd lied to her. Just like Adrian had asked me to.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't hear Rose enter the living room at first.

"Jeez, it's so hot! How do you survive here?" she exclaimed as she plopped down onto the couch, fanning herself with her hands.

I looked up at her and my eyes widened at the sight of her. She was only wearing a bikini. A red one. I loved the color red on her. _Look away, Dimitri. Look away!_

"Seriously, it's unbearable. I don't understand how Lissa has been lying there for over an hour now to get a tan!" she continued, nodding her head towards the deck. Thankfully, she hadn't noticed I'd been staring at her. "I don't need a tan that bad," she huffed, crossing her arms. "Besides, I already have a natural tan."

I smiled. "Well, it is very hot today. And no, you don't need one. You're perfect the way you are."

As soon as the words had left my mouth, I wanted to slap myself. Fuck. I should not have said that. That was so inappropriate!

But Rose grinned. "Thanks. I think so too," she joked.

She seemed to be feeling better today, for which I was glad. I hated to see her so sad all the time so it was nice to see a smile on her face from time to time.

"I thought you'd be working," Rose said after a few moments, looking at me.

"No, not today," I answered. _Or not this week for that matter._ I wanted to be around when Rose was here, in case she needed me. I shook my head at the thought. Who was I kidding? She didn't need me. I needed _her_.

As if she could read my mind, Rose said, "You're not staying here because of me, right?"

"No," I replied quickly. Too quickly.

She sighed. "I'll be fine, Dimitri. Don't worry about me."

"But I do worry about you," I admitted.

She gave me a small smile. "That's sweet of you. But you shouldn't have to."

"I know, but I can't help it," I told her. "I care about you. Yesterday-"

"Don't worry, it won't happen again," Rose interrupted quickly. "I'm sorry if I worried you. I didn't mean to start crying – I just-"

"You don't have to apologize for crying," I said. "It's a normal reaction. I mean, after everything you've been through the past few weeks…"

"You're going through the same thing – well, sort of," Rose said, reconsidering. "You lost your best friend. You've known him longer than I have so it's even worse for you."

"I lost Adrian a long time ago," I said quietly.

"Right," she muttered, looking down.

"He was your fiancé, Rose," I said. "You have the right to be upset. And you have the right to feel angry that Adrian cheated on you."

"Do I, really?" Rose said, looking straight into my eyes.

I immediately knew what she was talking about and it surprised me she brought it up. She'd never mentioned it again since…since it happened.

"Yes," I said firmly. Although it pained me to say it, I said, "What happened between us was a mistake."

Rose bit her lip, seemingly nervous. After a few moments, she nodded. Then she opened her mouth and closed it again, frowning. She seemed to be struggling with something. She started to say something, but a new voice interrupted her.

"Hey, do you guys want to play volleyball with us?"

Startled, I looked up as Eddie walked in and I was instantly annoyed. Couldn't he have waited a few moments longer before walking in? I wanted to know what Rose had been about to say.

"Yes!" Rose said immediately, excited. She looked at me. "You should play, too! It'll be fun!"

"Okay," I agreed. It was heart-warming she wanted me to be there as well.

"Great. Let me put on some shorts. I'll be right back," Rose called as she practically ran upstairs.

"She seems chipper today," Eddie noted, smiling. "I'm glad."

"Yeah, me too," I said, still wondering about what she'd wanted to say.

"You think she'll be okay?" Eddie asked, concerned.

"I think she will," I answered, hopeful.

 _Unless you tell her the truth, of course. Which will crush her._

I ignored the voice inside my head and followed Eddie outside. Christian and Mason were setting up the net while Lissa watched them from the sidelines. She seemed very reluctant to play.

"Alright, let's make teams!" Rose exclaimed, grinning, as she joined us on the beach a few minutes later.

"I'm with Christian," Lissa called immediately. "And I want Mason. He's a gym teacher so he's got to be good at this. Right, Mase?" she added, looking at him.

He grinned at her. "Of course."

"Alright," Rose said with a shrug. "You do know I've got the better players, right?" she added grinning. "Mason is good, that's true, but he's on his own because Christian is lazy so he probably won't even try to score-"

"Hey!" Christian said, outraged. "That's not true!"

"And I'm sorry, Liss, I love you very much, but you suck at every sport that involves throwing or kicking a ball," Rose continued.

She started to protest, but then shrugged. "Yeah, you're right. But I thought we were just going to do this for fun," she added in a whiny voice.

Eddie laughed. "Really, Lissa? You know Rose. Everything's a competition for her."

"Hey, competitions are fun!" Rose said.

"No," Lissa said scowling.

"Whatever," Christian said. "We're going to show you that we are the better team!"

Rose smiled. "Game on." She walked over to me and Eddie and said in a low voice, "Please tell me you guys have played volleyball before."

"In high school," Eddie replied with a shrug.

Rose looked at me.

"Same," I said.

She sighed. "Damn. We can't lose – not after I said that we are the better team."

Eddie rolled his eyes, but smiled reluctantly. "It's just a game, Rose. It doesn't have to be a competition."

Rose gave him a look that made him grow quiet.

"Let's just do it her way if that makes her happy right now," I murmured to Eddie when Rose marched over the net.

"You're right," Eddie said. Then he grinned. "Besides, a little competition never hurt anyone."

We started playing. About ten minutes in the game it was already clear that Rose didn't need to worry about losing. While Christian tried hard to score, Lissa ran the other way whenever the ball came near her, afraid it would hit her. I thought it was amusing, but I could see it frustrated Mason to no end.

I didn't really know the guy, but today I had noticed a few things about him. One very important thing was that he liked Rose – and not just as a friend. I'd caught him looking at her with admiration more than a few times. And whenever she scored and high-fived me, he would get this jealous look on his face. Yeah, he was definitely into her.

I wondered if Rose knew. And I wondered if she could ever, maybe in a few years when she got over Adrian, feel the same way about him. I hoped not.

Don't get me wrong, I wanted Rose to be happy again, but not with some other guy. I guess that was selfish of me, but I couldn't help myself. I'd watched her love another guy – my best friend – for years. And because Adrian had been my best friend it hadn't mattered to me. I'd wanted them to be happy. Even when I'd found out Adrian's secret, I'd still wanted them to work things out. I hadn't wanted to see Rose in pain so that's why I'd agreed to keep his dirty secret.

But now, _if_ there was a chance of her ever getting over Adrian, I kind of hoped she'd choose me. Deep down, I knew she'd never consider dating me and that I should just move on. And, honestly, it would be a dick move to date the girl of my dead best friend.

But a man could dream, right?

When Rose scored another point and we won the first set, she made a victory lap, then high-fived Eddie and then me.

"Woohoo, I'm on fire today, comrade!" she exclaimed cheerfully.

I froze, stunned. I hadn't heard that nickname in over a year. It felt so good to hear it again, especially after thinking I'd never hear her call me comrade again.

My heart swelled and I felt myself smile. Maybe there was still hope for me.

 **DPOV – AUGUST 1, 2012**

"So what do you think of Rose?"

Startled by his question, I stammered, "H-huh? What do you mean?"

"What do you think of Rose?" Adrian repeated as he lit his cigarette. "I could really see this working out with her. I mean, I like her a lot. And I know you get along with her as well…"

"Yeah, she's nice," I said, avoiding his gaze as we walked down the street. Did he really have to ask me this?

"She's more than nice. She's amazing," Adrian said dreamily.

 _I know._

"I think she might be the one for me," Adrian continued.

I stopped walking, stunned. "You really think that?" I asked, perplexed. Was he serious? "But you never-"

"I know, I know," Adrian said, grinning. "I've always said that I'd never settle down, but Rose is…she's great. And she's so…relaxed. You know what I mean? There's no drama like with most girls. She doesn't freak out when I talk to other women, she doesn't check my phone in secrecy,…"

"Uh-huh," I said. Seriously. Were those the reasons why he thought she was the one?

"She's almost perfect," Adrian exclaimed happily, throwing his cigarette to the ground before stomping it out.

"Almost?" I inquired, arching an eyebrow. What more could he want? Rose _was_ perfect!

"Yeah, you know I prefer blondes," he said with a shrug.

I stared at him in disbelief. She wasn't perfect because of her hair color? What the hell? Well, so much the better for me. Maybe he should dump her, then, so I could swoop in.

Honestly, there was nothing more I'd want right now, which was a little embarrassing. I should probably stop thinking about Rose in that way because it was clear from this conversation – albeit a strange one – that Adrian liked her very much. And I would be a total jackass if I tried to steal my best friend's girlfriend away. It was horrible enough that that thought had crossed my mind – several times.

But did Adrian really deserve her if that was what he thought about Rose? _It's not up to you to decide_ , I told myself.

"You really are something," I muttered as I pushed open the door to the coffee shop.

Adrian grinned proudly, as if I'd just complimented him, and walked up to the counter to order our coffees. Shaking my head, I sat down at the table near the window. _I think she's the one._ The one. How could Adrian already know that? He'd never dated anyone before in his life. This was literally the first girl he's tried to date in his life. How could he possibly know after a month that she was the one?

But if he was really serious about what he'd said, then it meant I was crushing on his future wife. The thought alone was ridiculous.

A knock on the window startled me out of my reverie. I glanced up and, to my surprise, Rose was waving at me, a big goofy grin on her face. Stunned, I waved back. She started walking to the entrance and I turned in my seat to see if she was coming in. Yep, she was.

Rose smiled at me as she stopped next to my table. "Hey, comrade. How are you?"

I blinked a couple of times. "Comrade?" I asked, confused.

"Yep, that's my new nickname for you," she said, her smile widening. "Do you like it? You better get used to it because I'm not going change it," she teased. "Mind if I sit with you?"

I glanced back at Adrian, who was still in line for our coffee. "S-sure," I stammered. Did Adrian know she'd be here? What would he say if he saw Rose sitting with me? I should say something about it. "Adrian's over there-"

"Oh, I know," she said. "He texted me and asked if I wanted to join you guys." She frowned a little. "You don't mind, do you? I don't want to interrupt anything. It's just that Adrian asked-"

"No, no, it's fine," I said quickly. "You're more than welcome to join us."

"Okay. Good," she said, her smile radiant.

I felt myself smiling back as I gazed at her. God, she was terrific. Once again, I wished that she was mine. It was so selfish of me, to wish for something like that, but I couldn't help it. I realized I was really falling for her and I had no control over it. Every time she walked into the room, my heart started beating faster and I-

"Here are our coffees," Adrian said cheerfully, interrupting my wayward thoughts. "And here's your muffin, babe."

He sat down next to Rose and kissed her on the lips. I looked away, clenching my jaw. And then I cursed myself again for feeling anything but happy for Adrian. I was being a terrible best friend, I know.

"How's work, Dimitri?" Rose asked.

My eyes flicked up to hers. "It's fine," I answered, forcing a smile onto my face. That smile disappeared quickly when I noticed she was holding Adrian's hand. "When do you have to go back to school?"

"In a few weeks," she answered. "I'm not really looking forward to it. It's my last year so I'm going to be busy. And then I won't get to hang out with you guys," she added in a teasing voice, bumping her shoulder against Adrian's. "At least, not as much anymore."

Maybe it was good if I didn't get to see her anymore that often. That way, I would get over her. _Yeah, keep telling yourself that. Maybe you'll believe it, then._

"I am so glad that my best friend and girlfriend are getting along," Adrian said, grinning happily.

Rose smiled, seeming a little uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Well, why wouldn't we get along? Right, comrade?"

There was that nickname again. It made my heart skip a beat. "Right," I said quickly. Glancing down at my watch, I started to get up. I needed to get out of here. I needed to get away from Rose. "I should go. I have a few meetings this afternoon so I'll catch up with you guys later. Have fun."

"See ya!" Adrian called.

I hurried out of the coffee shop and as I walked past the window I couldn't stop myself from looking at them. Rose was laughing at something Adrian had said. Then she leaned in and kissed him. Sighing, I looked away and quickened my pace, wanting to get away from them as soon as possible.

* * *

 _I hope you liked the chapter. I know the story is going slow, but Rose and Dimitri will end up together eventually. Just have a little patience ;)_

 _Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter! Have a nice weekend! :)_


	11. Chapter 11

_Thank you all so much for the reviews, favorites and follows!_

 _I hknow aven't been updating as much as I used to. I'm just super busy with school and I barely have time left to write so the updates are slower for which I'm very sorry. My exams just ended, however, and I have a few days off now so I'll have more time to write (Thank God! :D). I honestly miss writing, and I miss you guys._

 _I'd meant to update this chapter sooner, but I've been having troubles with my internet. So if you don't hear from me for some time, then it's because of my bad internet connection... or because of school._

 _Anyway, enjoy reading this chapter! ^^_

 ** _Disclaimer:_** ** _I do not own Vampire Academy._**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 11**

 **RPOV – AUGUST 22, 2012**

It was still early in the morning when Lissa dragged me out of my bed to go shopping. I protested, wanting to stay in bed a few moments longer, but Lissa wouldn't hear any of that.

She pulled me out of bed and shouted, "Wake up, Rose! You promised you'd go shopping with me today!"

Damn, Lissa. I did promise her I'd go.

"Fine, I'm getting up!" I exclaimed, groaning.

An hour later, we were in Macy's. I followed her around the store, still half-asleep. Last night, I'd gone clubbing with Adrian. He'd also invited Dimitri, but he'd declined because it wasn't his thing. But it had been fun nonetheless, with just the two of us.

"So how are things with Adrian?" Lissa asked as she made her way to the fitting room with a pile of clothes. "You've been dating him for a while now. You like him?"

"Yeah, he's great," I said. "I hadn't expected it to last, but things have been going very well. Surprisingly."

Lissa gave me a knowing look. "And how's the best friend doing?"

I glared at her. "Why are you asking?"

"Well, if I remember correctly you had your eyes on _him_ at first."

She disappeared into the fitting room while I waited outside the door. Feeling a little uncomfortable talking about this, I said evasively, "Yeah, well, Dimitri's a nice guy."

"That's it?" Lissa said, peeking her head outside the door

"Yes. What else do you want me to say?" I said, a little annoyed. "You told me to give Adrian a real chance and I did. And I'm very glad that I did because it's working between us."

"What about your feelings for Dimitri?" Lissa asked casually.

"What?!" I exclaimed, outraged. "I don't have feelings for him."

She came outside, wearing a light blue halter dress. Looking into the mirror, she said, "You sure?"

"Yes, I'm sure. My crush on him - or whatever the hell it was - it's over," I added reluctantly. "He's a friend, that's all."

"Okay," Lissa said with a shrug. She smiled at me. "So, what do you think?"

Relieved this conversation was over, I said, "You look stunning."

Her smile widened. "Great!"

She disappeared back into the fitting room. Sighing, I leaned against the door and waited. We shopped – correction, _Lissa_ shopped – for four more hours. And she only stopped because I was whining about being hungry.

When we finally sat down to have lunch, I let out a huge sigh of relief. But my relief didn't last long. As soon as we had our meal in front of us, she started her questioning again.

"Do you love him?"

"Hmm?" I said, distracted, as I stuffed my burger into my mouth.

"Do you love Adrian?" Lissa repeated.

"We've only been together for a few months!" I said, my eyes wide in shock.

"So?" she said with a shrug.

I considered her question. "I don't know. Maybe," I said after a pause. "I like him very much and I think he's a great guy. And in time, if things work out, then yeah… I suppose I could love him."

Lissa smiled happily. "I'm so glad you finally found your guy."

My guy? What did she mean? That Adrian might be the one for me?!

But before I could say a word, she continued, pouting, "I wonder when I will meet my guy."

"You'll meet him one day, Liss," I said, still thinking about her comment. "Don't worry."

 **RPOV – JULY 16, 2015**

I couldn't sleep. Thoughts about Adrian were keeping me awake. I felt guilty for having fun yesterday. How could I have fun when Adrian was gone? How could I possibly laugh when he'd died just a few weeks ago?

But I had other things to feel guilty about as well. Like calling Dimitri comrade again. I hadn't used the silly nickname in ages, but yesterday I'd blurted it out during the game. I hadn't felt bad about it in that moment; actually it had felt good to call him comrade again. It had felt familiar and…right.

Despite the fact that we'd lost touch over the year, he was still my friend. So why should I have to feel guilty about calling him comrade? I used to do it all the time and it had never bothered Adrian. So why should it have to be a problem now?

 _Ugh, this isn't working. I have to get up._

Sighing, I stood up and left my room. Quietly, I went downstairs, not wanting to wake up my friends. When I entered the kitchen, I started searching for food. A smile crossed my face when I found a chocolate bar in the fridge.

I sat down at the kitchen table and took a bite of the delicious chocolate. I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings as I sat there, enjoying my comfort food, so when I looked up and saw someone standing in the middle of the kitchen I jumped up in surprise and almost screamed.

"Relax, Rose, it's just me," Dimitri said softly, holding his hands up in mock surrender.

"God, you scared me," I hissed. "What are you doing here in the middle of the night?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. "I could ask you the same thing."

I sighed and sat back down in my chair. "I couldn't sleep," I mumbled as I put another piece of chocolate into my mouth. "Why are you up?

"Same reason," he said as he sat down across from me.

"I'm sorry for eating all your chocolate," I said, giving him an apologetic look.

He smiled. "It's fine."

"You want some?" I asked, offering him the rest of the chocolate bar.

"Thanks," he said as he popped a piece into his mouth.

I smiled. "Well, seeing as I'm stealing your food the least I can do is share it with you."

"Why can't you sleep?" Dimitri asked after a few moments of silence.

I shrugged. "I don't know."

"Is it because of Adrian?"

I looked away. "Yes. But other stuff, too."

Dimitri regarded me silently, waiting for me to clarify.

"I feel guilty for having fun," I admitted. "I mean, Adrian just died and I…" I sighed. "Here I am, vacationing in Malibu beach and having fun with my friends. As if… As if nothing happened."

"You don't have to feel guilty because you're having fun," Dimitri said. "There are still plenty of times that you are sad." I started to protest, but he cut me off, saying, "I have seen it, Rose. I think you're allowed to have some fun. You don't have to be sad all the time. And I'm pretty sure Adrian wouldn't want you to be sad. He would have wanted you to be happy."

I sighed. "You really think so?"

"Yes," he said, his voice soft but firm. "I'm sure of it."

I gave him a small, grateful smile. "Thanks."

"So what's the other stuff?" he asked.

I shrugged, embarrassed. "Nothing important."

Dimitri arched his eyebrow again. "You know you can tell me," he said softly.

Should I?

 _Yes, tell him._

"It's about earlier, when we were playing volleyball. When I called you comrade," I confessed after a beat. He seemed surprise and a little uncomfortable by my admission. _Oh, shit._ I shouldn't have said anything. "Do you… Do you think it's weird that I did that?" I asked nervously.

He considered my question for a moment, then shook his head. "No. Why would it be weird?"

I flushed. "I don't know. I just thought…that maybe… I don't know. I'm so confused."

"It doesn't have to be weird," Dimitri said. "I mean, you used to call me comrade all the time," he added jokingly.

I smiled reluctantly. "That's true."

"So what's the problem?" he said with a shrug.

"Nothing, I guess," I said after a pause. _I'm the one who's making a problem about it._

He smiled warmly.

"I've really missed you," I blurted out. _Well, fuck!_ Why did I have to say that? Why couldn't I have kept my mouth shut? I wanted to die of embarrassment. "As my friend, I mean," I added quickly.

But to my utter surprise and shock, Dimitri said, "I've missed you too, Rose. A lot."

I had tears in my eyes. "Really?"

He smiled again. "Really. I wish I'd never walked away."

"I get it," I said softly. "I get why you left. Everything was so complicated and-"

"I should have never left you behind, Rose," Dimitri interrupted, his eyes boring into mine. "No matter what happened between Adrian and me, I should have never left you."

My heart was hammering in my chest as I stared at him. "It doesn't matter. You came back," I said at last, my voice wavering a little.

"And I'm staying this time," Dimitri said earnestly. "I won't leave you again."

"Thank you," I whispered. "Comrade," I added, a small smile on my face.

A grin spread across his face. "You know, I actually missed hearing that nickname," he said.

The mood lightened immediately.

"Oh really? I thought you didn't like it," I teased.

"I got used to it," he said with a shrug, smiling reluctantly. I chuckled and his smile widened. "Are you tired yet?"

I sighed. "No. You?"

"No," he replied.

Suddenly, I had an idea. It probably wasn't a good one, but I wanted to do it anyway. "You wanna go for a swim?"

Dimitri's eyes widened. "Are you serious? It's the middle of the night. The water will be cold."

I shrugged. "Are you up for the challenge, comrade?" I said with a grin.

He grinned back. "Fine."

We stepped out onto the deck. As Dimitri closed the door behind him, I pulled my dress over my head, leaving me only in my bra and panties. I had to look away when Dimitri quickly stripped down to his boxers. I was suddenly feeling very self-conscious, which was crazy because Dimitri had already seen me a couple of times in my bikini. There wasn't really a difference. It was just me being stupid again.

"Come on," Dimitri said, tugging me towards the sea.

I ran after him and stopped at the water's edge, hesitating. Oh, this was going to be cold! I looked up at Dimitri and grinned.

"Ready?" I asked.

"Ready," he said.

I walked into the sea and screamed. "Aah, it's so cold!"

"I told you so," Dimitri shot back before he dove in headfirst.

When he resurfaced, I exclaimed, "Are you crazy?!"

He laughed. "You should do it, too. It's better than what you are doing."

"No," I protested.

The water came to my waist and, for now, that was high enough.

"Come on, who wanted to go for a night swim?" he teased as he swam back towards me. "Just get it over with."

"Fine!" I said, exasperated. Taking a deep breath, I went under water without further delay. When I came back up for air, I exclaimed, "Oh my God!"

Dimitri laughed at my reaction.

"Next time when I have a horrible idea, please stop me!" I told him, my teeth chattering.

"You'll get warmer if you swim," Dimitri said.

I followed his advice and, indeed, I was getting warmer. _Thank God._ Grinning, I swam over to him and splashed him. Surprised, he blinked the water out of his eyes. I laughed and swam away before he could splash me back. I felt him tug at my ankle and I cried out, still laughing, "No, let go!"

I heard him laughing as well. I turned around and he let go. I splashed him again and he splashed me back. I squeezed my eyes shut just as the water hit my face and when I opened them again Dimitri was gone.

"What the-"

I let out a scream when I felt something touch my legs. I looked down into the water and, suddenly, I was out of the water.

"Comrade! What the hell are you doing?" I exclaimed, holding onto him tightly as I sat on his broad shoulders.

He looked up at me, grinning, and then he let me fall back into the water. I yelped before I went under again. When I resurfaced, I spluttered at Dimitri, "Thanks a lot!"

He chuckled and I started splashing him again. When I started to get cold again, I suggested we go back to the beach. My teeth were chattering and my fingers felt numb when we reached the deck.

"Come on, let's get you inside," Dimitri said, opening the door.

"I can't walk in like this! The floor will get wet!" I protested.

"That doesn't matter. Get in. I'll get us some towels," he said, giving me a little push.

I walked inside and waited at the door while Dimitri went to get some towels. Slowly, a small pool started to form around my feet.

Dimitri came back with the towels and wrapped one around me. I was still shivering like crazy and couldn't get warm. Dimitri noticed and started rubbing my arms. I moved closer to him and he wrapped his arms around me as he continued to rub my arms with his hands. He felt cold from the water, but it was better than nothing.

"Better?" he asked as he blew on my hands to warm them. I felt my cheeks turn red as I looked up at him, my heart beating faster and faster. I'd moved so close we were touching. As I stared at his mouth, I realized I could easily kiss him now. _Wait, what?! What the hell are you thinking, Rose?_

Still, I couldn't tear my gaze away from him. Dimitri stopped blowing my hands as he stared back at me. Slowly, he lowered my hands, but didn't let go.

"Roza," he whispered, a look of wonderment on his face.

My heart skipped a beat and I sucked in a breath. Oh God. He only ever called me Roza when we-

 _No. What are you doing, Rose?_ Quickly, I looked away and, as I stepped out of his embrace, I breathed, "Yes, thank you."

Wrapping the towel more tightly around me, I moved to the door. Glancing over my shoulder, I looked back at Dimitri. He still stood in the same place I'd left him.

"Thank you for tonight – umm, this morning," I corrected myself. I gave him a small smile. "I had fun."

Dimitri looked like he wanted to say something, but before he could I hurried out of the room. When I closed the door to my bedroom, I let myself fall onto the bed and let out a sigh of relief. My heart was still hammering in my chest. I couldn't believe I'd almost kissed Dimitri! What the hell had I been thinking?

I buried my face into my pillow and let out a frustrated groan. Well, there was nothing I could do to change it. I just hoped tomorrow wouldn't be too awkward.

Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to relax, but it was of no use. If I hadn't been able to fall asleep before, I certainly wasn't going to now.

* * *

 _I hope you liked this chapter. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter! Thank you! Happy Halloween! :D_


	12. Chapter 12

_Hi... Remember me? *awkward wave*_

 _I know, I know, I haven't been updating regularly. Hell, I haven't updated in weeks. And I can't apologize enough for that. I seriously feel guilty about it, but I can't help it. School has taken over my life, unfortunately. And I'm pretty sure it's going to stay that way for some time, which sucks because that means I can't write. I want to finish this story, though, but I'm afraid it's going to go slow. But I figure you guys already guessed that. (Sigh. Where's the time I could update twice a week?! I miss that time :P)_

 _Anyway, here's the new chapter. Thank you to those who are still sticking with this story - and me. It means a lot to me!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** **I do not own Vampire Academy.**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 12**

 **DPOV – JULY 16, 2015**

I was nervous when I stood up the next morning. Naturally, I hadn't slept a wink because I'd been worrying about Rose the past couple of hours, about that moment between us and what it had meant. While I wouldn't have minded to stay in that moment for the rest of my life, Rose couldn't have gotten away from me fast enough.

Had I gone too far? Had I screwed up – again? I prayed things wouldn't be weird again. We'd just started hanging out like friends again and I didn't want to ruin that.

"Hey comrade!" I looked up in surprise. Rose was already in the kitchen, having breakfast. She smiled at me and noted, "You're up early."

"So are you," I commented.

She shrugged. "I'd promised Lissa I'd go shopping with her today. She's getting ready right now." Suddenly, her face brightened. "Do you wanna join us?" When she saw the look on my face, she added, "I know, I know. I hate shopping as much as you do. But the guys are coming, too – Christian talked them into it because he had to go and he didn't want to. So yeah, it should be fun. I think," she rambled on. "And you have lived here for some time now so you could show us around!"

I blinked at her, stunned. She was so chipper. A little too chipper if you'd ask me, but it was better than the alternative. I thought she'd be avoiding me today because of what happened – well, _almost_ happened – just a few hours ago, but instead she was inviting me to come along today. Strange.

But who was I to pass up her offer? Of course I'd go shopping if that meant I could spend more time with her.

"Sure," I replied, relieved that everything was still normal between us.

Rose smiled happily. "Great!"

When we left an hour later, Rose's mood seemed to shift. The easy smile on her face disappeared and she seemed lost in thought as she stared out the car window. I wished I knew what she was thinking about. As I drove us to the Grove, I noticed her twirling her engagement ring around her finger. My mood dimmed immediately. Of course she was thinking about Adrian.

Lissa was all excitement when we arrived and Rose put a fake smile on her face for her sake. I knew Rose detested shopping, but she'd do it anyway for her best friend. I thought it was a kind gesture.

"Oh my God, this is going to be so much fun!" Lissa squealed, grabbing Christian's hand.

"Yay," Rose said, less than enthusiastic. She gave me a dry smile. "Let's hope this day will be over soon," she murmured quietly to me.

Lissa was the kind of girl that shopped until she dropped and she let Christian carry all her bags along the way. He didn't complain once, which I thought was pretty amazing. Mason and Eddie separated quickly from the group, wanting to see something else than clothing stores for a change. I would go with them, but I didn't want to leave Rose.

In the afternoon, she was sick of it as well and told Lissa she'd be waiting outside. I stayed with her while Christian followed Lissa into the next shop, a resigned look on his face.

"You okay?" I asked Rose when we were alone.

She looked at me and sighed. "No. It's so crowded here and it's hot and I'm sweating like crazy. I can't wait for this day to end, really."

I chuckled. "Me neither. But that's not what I meant."

She looked confused for a moment, but then realization hit her. "Oh." She frowned at me. "Comrade, I told you to stop worrying."

"I know, I know," I said. "But…"

"But?" she pressed, arching her eyebrow at me.

I hesitated. "I saw you looking at your engagement ring earlier," I continued at last, my voice quiet. "Do you still feel guilty for…having fun?"

She shrugged. "I don't know. The only thing I know is that I'm confused – about everything," she said, frustrated.

About everything? What did that mean? She'd mentioned it last night to me, but I'd thought it had been about Adrian, about what she'd recently found out about him. I didn't dare ask her, though. She didn't really seem like she wanted to talk about it.

"Oh man, the heat is killing me!" she exclaimed, changing the subject. "Can we get some ice cream?"

I smiled. "Sure."

Twenty minutes later, we were sitting on a bench, eating our ice cream. I kept stealing glances at Rose, wondering what else she was confused about. Last night maybe? About what almost happened?

 _Stop fooling yourself, Dimitri. She doesn't like you that way. She's still in love with Adrian and you're a dick for trying to steal her away from your best friend who's been dead for just a few weeks! You should be ashamed of yourself._

"Hey, there's a Barnes and Noble over there!" Rose noted, breaking the silence. "You want to go?"

I gave her a surprised look. "No, that's okay."

She smiled at me. "I know how much you love books." She started to get up and held out her hand to me. "Come on, comrade. Let's go. I don't mind."

I couldn't help but smile back. "Alright."

She grabbed my hand and tugged me towards the store, grinning.

"Wow, you're eager," I said, chuckling.

"You've been following Lissa around all day for me so this is the least I can do for you," she answered as we walked into the store. "And I know books make you happy and I like to see you happy." I stopped walking and she turned around, a confused look on her face. "Why are you stopping?"

I really wanted to kiss her right then and there, but I was also thinking about the consequences it would bring. I didn't want to risk our friendship, I didn't want to risk losing her again, so I held back. It was hard, but I did it.

"You know I'd do anything to see you happy again, right?" I said softly. "No matter what."

She squeezed my hand. "Right now, I am happy." She paused, then said, "Actually, so far this week has been better than I'd thought it would be. Even though I'm still grieving, I've been happier here than I ever thought I would be again. I'm glad that Liss dragged me here. It's way better than sitting at home, all alone, wallowing in self-pity." Before I could open my mouth to answer, she added with a grin, "And hey, didn't I promise you I'd be happy again? I keep my promises, comrade, so don't you worry!"

She winked at me, then tugged me further into the bookstore. I couldn't help myself but grin as I followed her down to the Western section.

"You know, you don't have to do this," I started.

"But I want to," she replied immediately, glancing back at me. She stopped and picked up a book. "Have you read this one yet?" She took a closer look, then put it back. "Yes, you have."

I looked at her, amused. "How do you know which books I've read and which I haven't?"

"Because I've seen you read hundreds of books and I'm very good at remembering the titles," she told me, grinning proudly. "Besides, I'm always curious what the book is about so I always read the back when you're not in the room."

"Why?" I asked, pleasantly surprised. "You could just ask me."

She shrugged. "I want to read it myself. See why you like it."

Now _I_ was curious. "Why would you do that?"

Rose shrugged again. "I don't know. At first I did it because I wanted to get to know you better and, as you well know, you aren't the most forthcoming person," she added in a teasing voice.

"Hey, that's not true," I protested. But it was true. I wasn't a big talker, but Rose managed to get me to talk pretty quickly when she'd started dating Adrian.

"Okay, fine, you talk to me," she conceded, "but if it was someone else…"

"You're right," I admitted.

"Why's that?" she asked, intrigued. "You aren't shy, but you're always… I don't know, closed off to people? Although I know you were close to Adrian and I also know you're very close to your family-"

"I was also close to you," I blurted out. Her eyes widened in surprise, just for a moment, and I cursed myself for saying that out loud. Once again, I'd crossed the line.

But then, to my astonishment, she smiled. "Yes. And I'm grateful for that." She grabbed my hand and squeezed it. "I'm grateful to call you my friend."

I looked down at our entwined hands because I knew if I kept staring at her beautiful face I would want to kiss her – again.

"Anyway, that's why I was so surprised that you let us all stay at your place, because I know how much you like your privacy," she continued, that teasing tone still in her voice. "And you don't know the others that well."

"Well enough to trust them to not make a mess of my house," I said jokingly. On a more serious note, I said, "But mostly, I did it for you. You really needed a break."

Rose smiled softly. "Even though I hate to admit it, you're right. You, Liss,..." She let out a sigh. "You were all right. So…thanks."

I returned her smile. "You're welcome."

We browsed the bookshelves while laughing and joking around. I hadn't had this much fun in a long time – except for last night. I'd had a lot of fun then as well, but I'd ruined it by calling her Roza. It had scared her away. I wasn't going to make that mistake again. Or so I hoped.

I wouldn't mind sitting here with Rose for the rest of my life, but unfortunately we were interrupted by a call from Christian. Lissa had apparently finished her shopping spree. We met up with them fifteen minutes later. Eddie and Mason were already there. The redhead was frowning again when he saw me with Rose. Once again, I wondered if Rose knew about his feelings for her. By the way she acted around him, I'd guess not.

After having dinner at a great Italian restaurant, we drove back to my house. Eddie offered to drive because I'd already driven this morning. The ride home was quiet, all of us exhausted and spent. Next to me, Rose was asleep, her head resting on my shoulder. I smiled down at her, feeling so grateful for all the time I'd got to spend with Rose these past few days. I already knew the day Rose decided to go back home would be a dark day.

But for now, I was content that she was here with me and I would enjoy the last few days I had with her. And I would ignore the nagging voice inside my head that kept telling me to tell her about Adrian – the sooner the better. Because I knew if I did tell her, she wouldn't want to be here a second longer than was necessary. She would pack her bags and leave and I would never see or hear from her again. She'd do to me what I did to her a year ago. And I wasn't sure I could handle that.

But deep down I knew I would have to tell her eventually. She had the right to know. _But not today_ , I told myself.

I wanted to hold on to her a little while longer.

 **RPOV – FEBRUARY 16, 2013**

Tonight was supposed to be fun. Adrian and I were on a double date with Lissa and Aaron, a guy she'd been seeing for a few weeks now. I knew she wasn't really into him, but she wanted to give it a shot anyway because he was nice and sweet and good-looking. And also, very boring. But that was just my opinion.

But somewhere during this double date, Adrian had disappeared with the excuse that he needed a cigarette. But he'd left well over thirty minutes ago and I was wondering where he was. Did he leave to buy the cigarettes or what?

I tried to keep up the conversation, but it seemed like Aaron wasn't keen on talking. I looked at Lissa for some support, but she was distracted as she fiddled with her phone.

I nudged her leg under the table and she looked up. "Rude," I muttered quietly.

Her cheeks turned pink. "Sorry," she said apologetically. "It'll just take another moment."

I wanted to ask her who she was texting – he or she must be important because she'd been glancing at her phone since we'd arrived. I glanced back at Aaron, who was playing with the straw of his drink, disinterested. _Why the hell are they still dating?_ I thought. _And why am I trying so hard to make this a pleasant evening? I don't have to do all the work here!_

"Alright," I sighed. "I'm going to find Adrian. He's probably outside smoking."

No reaction.

 _Ugh_. I rolled my eyes and slid out of the booth. Making my way through the crowd, I walked out of the bar and onto the street. I took a deep breath, taking in the fresh air. Glancing around, I searched for Adrian. I found him quickly; he was across the street talking to a blond girl that was dressed like a slut. Her skirt was way too short, barely covering her ass, and she was wearing a low-cut top. Over it, she wore a light jacket. _Seriously, it's the middle of the winter,_ I thought, shaking my head. _She must be crazy. Or desperate to get laid._

Well, she wouldn't get far with my boyfriend. I would make sure of that.

I crossed the street and stopped in front of them, clearing my throat loudly. Adrian glanced up, a surprised look crossing his face. Then he smiled.

"Rose-"

"Are you almost done here?" I cut him off, annoyed. I looked at the cigarette he was holding between his fingers. How many had he smoked since he'd left us in the bar? I glared at the girl. "And who is she?"

The girl crossed her arms and gave me a smug smile. Adrian glanced at her, then turned away and put his arm around me, leading me away from her.

"Excuse us for a moment," he called at the girl.

We stopped a few feet away from the girl. She was looking at us, that smug smile still on her face.

"What the hell was that?" I hissed. "Were you flirting with that girl?"

Adrian looked stunned. "No. We were just talking."

"You've been out here for half an hour!" I exclaimed. "Have you been _just talking_ to her all this time?"

I didn't know why I was reacting like this. It wasn't really out of jealousy; I guess I was just angry that he'd left me alone to deal with Lissa and Aaron.

"Hey, hey, calm down, Rose," Adrian said gently. "We just started talking two minutes ago and that was all it was. Small talk. And I'm sorry, I lost track of time." He gave me an apologetic look. "Please don't be upset," he pleaded. "I'm sorry."

I sighed, calming down. "Okay. I'm sorry. It's just… It's so boring in there!" I said. "Please come back inside."

"Of course," he said.

I glanced back at the girl. She was still standing where we'd left her, waiting for Adrian to come back. I sent another glare in her direction.

Adrian noticed. "Aww, don't be jealous, babe," he teased, taking my hand in his. "You know I love you. Only you," he murmured, kissing my cheek.

I rolled my eyes at him, but smiled reluctantly. "Let's go back now."

The double date ended pretty quickly after our return. Lissa was still busy texting and Aaron seemed bored out of his mind. Well, he wasn't the only one.

I was relieved when we finally got home.

"God, that was awful!" I complained to Adrian. "And so boring! I hope Lissa never does that to me again!" I let myself fall onto the couch with a huff. "She wasn't even there."

Adrian gave me a strange look. "Uh, she _was_ there."

I rolled my eyes. "I mean mentally! She was constantly texting with someone. I'm going to ask her who it was on Monday. I think it's a guy."

"But what about Aaron?"

"I think she's going to dump him. Trust me, it won't take that long anymore," I told him knowingly.

"She should dump his ass," Adrian said, taking a wine glass out of the cabinet. "That Aaron dude is boring as hell."

"Are you sure you should drink that?" I asked, eyeing the glass of wine in his hands. "You've already had more than a couple of glasses tonight."

He shrugged, grinning, as he put the glass to his lips. "Nothing I can't handle, baby."

I scowled at him. "You drink way too much, Adrian."

He didn't react; he just gulped down the wine.

Startled, I turned away from Adrian when the bathroom door opened and Dimitri walked out, half-naked. Realizing I was staring at his toned body, I quickly looked away in embarrassment. _Jeez, he was muscular! Adrian should take notes!_

"Oh, hey," Dimitri said, surprised to see us. It looked like he'd just gotten out of the shower; his hair was still damp. "I didn't know you guys were back. How was the double date?"

I groaned. "Worst double date ever."

Adrian yawned. "Whatever. I'm going to bed."

Dimitri walked into his bedroom. When he came back, he was wearing a shirt over his sweatpants. Thank God, I could look at him again without staring like a creep. But in my defense, any girl would stare at Dimitri. It was not my fault he was so hot.

"Worst double date ever, huh?" Dimitri said, an amused smile on his face. "How come?"

"Are you coming, Rose?" Adrian called from his bedroom door, interrupting my response to his best friend. "I'm exhausted."

"I'll be there in a few," I called back.

He nodded, then closed the door behind him.

I turned back to Dimitri. "Well, it sucked because Lissa was so busy with her phone, texting some guy, I think, and Aaron is boring and he seemed disinterested. Oh, and Adrian left me alone with them so he could smoke. He was gone for over half an hour. Can you believe it?"

Dimitri shook his head, sighing. "Yeah, that's Adrian," he said with a shrug, giving me an apologetic look.

"Ugh, I'm just glad it's over," I said, leaning back against the couch and closing my eyes. When I opened them again, Dimitri was sitting next to me on the couch. "So, did you have a hot Valentine's date?"

He chuckled. "No."

"What?" I asked, smiling. "Not your scene?"

He shrugged. "There's just no one I want to take out on a date," he answered, his brown eyes staring into mine.

I gulped as I stared back. I hated to admit it, but a part of me was relieved that there was no one he was interested in. Why I felt that way? I had no idea. I mean, I had Adrian and I hadn't thought about Dimitri in any way other than a friend since…well, since we'd become friends actually.

I looked away from him, playing with a loose thread on my sleeve. "Well, that's too bad," I said after a few moments. I hesitated, but then said, "Because you're quite the catch, Dimitri. I think any girl would be lucky to have you." There wasn't anything wrong with saying that, right? I mean, he was just a friend after all.

"Are you serious?" Dimitri asked, a little surprised.

I looked back up at him. "Yeah. Of course."

"Thanks, Rose." A small smile crossed his face, but it disappeared quickly. "But unfortunately, the girl I like is unavailable."

I blinked a couple of times. _What girl?_ So he does like someone. She just doesn't like him back. Was she crazy or something?

"Is she with someone else?" I asked curiously.

He nodded.

"Does she know you like her?" I asked.

"No, I don't think so," he responded, still gazing into my eyes. It made me a little nervous.

"Well, you should tell her," I told him as I felt my cheeks redden a little. _Or maybe not._ "She'd be a fool not to like you."

Dimitri laughed softly. "I'll tell her you said that."

I cleared my throat, glancing down at my lap. "Good. You should."

"So did you and Adrian celebrate Valentine's day?" Dimitri asked, changing the subject.

"Nah," I said with a shrug. "Adrian isn't really a big romantic and neither am I, really. So we skipped it."

Dimitri frowned. "You've been together for quite a while, though. He should have taken you out or given you flowers at least."

"No, it's okay," I said, forcing a smile onto my face.

I had to admit I was a little bummed out, despite telling Dimitri otherwise. I'd never celebrated Valentine's Day before in my life because I'd never had a long-term relationship. But Adrian and I'd been together for almost a year now so I'd kind of looked forward to it. Unfortunately, Adrian had had a lot of meetings that day and hadn't been able to take me out. He'd send me a text, wishing me a happy Valentine's Day, though. I guess that was better than nothing.

Clearing my throat again, I started to get up and said, "Well, I'm off to bed. Good night, Dimitri."

When I reached Adrian's bedroom door, Dimitri called, "Good night, Rose. And maybe it doesn't matter to you, but if I'd been Adrian, the least I would've done was given you flowers. You're his girlfriend and you deserve to be treated like one."

That put a smile on my face. "Thanks, comrade," I said softly, giving him one last look before disappearing into Adrian's bedroom.

* * *

 _So that was it for this chapter. You probably noticed there was a large gap between the last flashback and this one. I just wanted to fast forward it a little bit. I hope you liked it and I hope it isn't too confusing because you had to wait so long for a new chapter. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask me! And let's hope I'll be able to update a lot sooner (I'm not making any promises, but I'll do my best). Have a nice week! :)_


	13. Chapter 13

_Thank you for your reviews and everlasting patience! Seriously, guys. Thank you. :)_

 ** _Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy._**

* * *

 **CHAPTER 13**

 **RPOV – JULY 18, 2015**

" _What the hell?_ "

I let out a surprised scream when Lissa came barging into the bathroom, as if she owned the place. Hurriedly, I wrapped a towel around me.

"Good, you're done showering," she said.

"Lissa! What the hell are you doing here?" I exclaimed in outrage. "Can't you knock?"

"Jeez, it's just me," she said. "Calm down."

I scowled at her.

"Eddie and Mason made a campfire on the beach. You want to join us?" she asked, unfazed. "We're going to make marshmallows," she added, knowing I loved marshmallows.

"Yes, I'll be there in a few," I said, calmed down immediately. "If you'd let me get dressed."

I glared at her when she didn't move. I was ready to kick her butt out of the bathroom when she said brightly, "Okay. See you in a bit."

As she closed the door behind her, I called, "And don't forget to knock next time!"

Everyone was already seated around the campfire when I got outside. It was dark so I moved around carefully, not wanting to step on someone's fingers, and found a spot in between Dimitri and Christian.

"Want a beer?" Christian offered, holding one up for me.

"Thanks," I answered.

I was thirsty so I took a big gulp before putting the bottle down in the sand. I was also very conscious of Dimitri sitting beside me – only a few inches away. I could feel his warmth against my skin - or maybe it was just the warmth of the campfire I was feeling. _Yes, of course it is, Rose._ Hesitantly, I glanced up at him. He didn't notice me looking; he seemed lost in thought and he was frowning.

I nudged his elbow. "You okay, comrade?"

Dimitri's head snapped up, startled by my question. "Huh? Yeah, I'm fine," he answered quickly as he forced a smile onto his face.

"Okay, now that everyone's here, it's game time!" Lissa announced, clapping her hands together to silence us.

"What? No!" I groaned.

"If you don't join the game, you don't get any marshmallows," Lissa said, smiling sweetly.

I gasped. "That's so unfair!"

Christian snickered and I elbowed him in his side.

"Fine," I conceded. I wanted my marshmallows. "Which game do you wanna play?"

"Truth or dare!" Lissa exclaimed excitedly.

Everyone in the group groaned loudly. It seemed like no one wanted to play the silly game. Neither did I. Knowing Lissa, she would ask us the most embarrassing questions ever. Besides, I didn't need my secret to come out in front of my whole group of friends so this game was a definite no.

"No, not that one," I complained. "We play that every time and it's getting old. Let's play something else, please."

Lissa pouted, giving us all our puppy dog eyes. "Okay, fine," she said when no one wanted to give in. "How about 'Two truths and a lie'?" She grinned. "That's something different. And we could make it a drinking game! Dimitri, do you have something stronger than beer?"

"I have vodka," he replied.

"Good," Lissa said brightly. "Can you go get it, please?"

Dimitri got up and went back inside. A few minutes later, he came back with a bottle of vodka and shot glasses for everyone.

"Isn't this game usually for just two players?" I asked.

"No, it doesn't have to be," Lissa responded, very excited. "For example, you tell us two truths and a lie, we have to vote which one is a lie. If we guess wrong, we all have to take a shot. If we guess right, you will have to take a shot!"

I shrugged. "Okay."

"Everyone okay with this game?" Lissa asked, looking around the group. They all mumbled their agreement and Lissa's smile widened. She was way too eager to play this game. "Okay, let's play then. I'll start!"

She was quiet for a few moments as she thought about a good few statements. "Alright," she said at last, her face brightening. "I got very sick once when I was a kid so my dad bought me a pony to cheer me up. I am scared of butterflies – I think they're gross. I secretly listen to the Spice Girls when I'm alone."

I laughed. I'd known Lissa forever so this was easy. "I know the answer, guys!" I exclaimed happily. "The last one is a lie!" I flashed a grin at Lissa. "You've got to step up your game, Liss. Don't forget I'm your best friend so I know _everything_ about you."

"Shit, I hadn't thought about that," she muttered before taking a shot of vodka. She shut her eyes and coughed a little. "Ugh, why did I ask for something stronger than beer?"

"You're scared of butterflies?" Eddie asked as he tried very hard not to laugh. "Why? They're harmless!"

"They _seem_ beautiful, but up close they're really gross," Lissa said, defending herself.

"Okay, so who's next?" I asked.

Lissa smiled at me. "You, Rose."

"Oh. Okay." What should I say? Nothing too embarrassing. "When I was in high school, I used to put on glasses to look smarter." Christian sniggered so I cut him a look. "When the first Twilight movie came out I had a crush on Edward Cullen." Christian started laughing harder and I punched him in the arm. He let out a surprised yelp and rubbed his arm, frowning. At least, he was quiet now. "I pretend to hate the song 'Happy' from Pharell Williams, but secretly I like it."

"I think the Edward Cullen crush is a lie," Eddie responded immediately. "You hate Twilight. Who agrees with me?"

They all agreed immediately, except Lissa. Her cheeks were red and she was looking down at her hands in her lap. Oh, this was funny.

"You're right," I said grinning. "I didn't have a crush on Edward. That was Lissa."

"You had a crush on that Edward dude?" Christian exclaimed, shocked. "Seriously?"

Lissa glared at me, her cheeks reddening even more. "Thanks a lot, Rose!"

I blew her a kiss. "Don't be mad, Liss." I picked up my shot glass and poured it with vodka, then gulped it down in one swallow. My throat was on fire. "Goddammit, how can you drink this stuff, comrade?" I asked, coughing.

He smiled. "It's not that bad, Rose."

I snorted. "Right." When I was done coughing, I said, "Alright, I choose Eddie."

Eddie grinned at me. "I had a crush on Rose when I first met her." My eyes widened in surprise. Really? That had to be a lie! "I had braces when I was a kid," he continued. "I can hold my breath for four minutes."

"Four minutes?" Lissa said, looking amazed. "Wow."

"Well, he's an excellent swimmer," I said, "so I guess that's true."

"I say he's lying about his crush on Rose," Christian cut in. "I mean, who in the world has a crush on Rose? That's just crazy."

"Hey! I'm a very desirable woman," I said loftily. _Yeah right._

"Yes, any guy would be lucky to have Rose," Lissa defended me. "But in this case, I have to agree with Christian. I think it's a lie."

"Me too," I said. "I don't believe it."

"So does everyone agree?" Lissa asked, looking around the group.

Dimitri and Mason nodded.

"Ha! You all have to take a shot because you're wrong!" Eddie said grinning.

" _What_?" Christian exclaimed. "You had a crush on Rose?!"

Well, that was news! I'd had no idea.

Eddie wasn't even embarrassed. "Yeah, I did. It didn't last long, though. But I think every guy who meets Rose has had a crush on her," he added with a wink.

I smiled, almost shy but also feeling flattered. "Why, thank you, Eddie." I looked around the group and teased, "So is that true, guys? You all had crushes on me?"

"No way," Christian responded immediately, scrunching up his nose.

"Nope," Mason said, shaking his head vehemently. He took a big gulp of his beer. "She's just my colleague and friend."

"What a bummer," I said jokingly.

Dimitri hadn't said a word and I knew the reason why. I didn't dare to look at him and he knew he was avoiding looking at me as well because this conversation hit close to home.

Thankfully, the game resumed quickly so I didn't have to think about it anymore. We all took a shot of vodka, except Eddie who was still grinning proudly.

After a while, we decided to play a new game while drinking beer – no more vodka for me; I'd already had enough – and eating marshmallows.

By midnight, I was drunk and giggling uncontrollably at Mason and Eddie who were play fighting with sticks they'd found in the sand. When I'd drunk one too many beers, I thought everything was funny.

Lissa stood at the edge of the sea and wondered aloud, "How cold do you think the water is at night?"

"Very cold, trust me," I said in between giggles.

She giggled as well. She was just as drunk. "How would you know that, Rose?" She hiccupped. "I think I'm going to try it out…"

"No, no, that's not a good idea." Christian came to the rescue and pulled Lissa away from the water. I think he and Dimitri were the only ones sober. "We don't want you to catch pneumonia."

Lissa pouted, but she complied. "Alright. Can we go to bed, then?" she suggested and her face brightened immediately.

I scrunched up my nose. "Gross, Liss!"

She giggled again.

"We can go to bed to sleep," Christian said.

"I never thought you'd be so responsible, Christian," I remarked, surprised.

"Yeah, well, someone has to be the responsible one," he shot back.

"Sleep sounds good too," Lissa said, her voice slurring. Maybe she'd had a little bit more to drink than me after all. She almost tripped in the sand, causing both of us to laugh. Christian caught her just in time, though. "I'm actually really tired," she added when she was done laughing.

"Well, then. Let's go," Christian said, leading her back to the house. "Good night, everyone."

When they were gone, I moved closer to Dimitri. Eddie and Mason were still goofing around, a few feet away from us.

"Hi," I said.

Dimitri looked amused. "Hi."

"You've been quiet tonight. What's on your mind?" I asked, bumping my shoulder into his.

"Nothing important, really," he mumbled, smiling a little. "Are you sure you are okay?"

A slow grin spread across my face. "I'm more than okay. I'm perfect."

"You are drunk," Dimitri said, arching an eyebrow at me.

I giggled. "No." I reconsidered. "Maybe. Yes," I admitted, giggling again.

"I thought so," he said dryly.

I grumbled incoherently and wrapped my arms around myself when I started shivering. I should have worn something warmer.

"Are you cold? Do you want my sweater?" Dimitri asked.

"No, it's okay," I answered quickly. "I – I'm fine."

"No, you're cold. Here, take it," he said as he pulled his sweater over his head and handed it to me.

"Thanks," I said, a little embarrassed. Changing the subject, I asked in a teasing voice, "So why aren't you drunk? You drank just as much as us! And you downed that vodka as if you drink it on a daily basis!" I paused. " _Do_ you drink vodka on a daily basis?"

Dimitri chuckled. "No, Rose. I guess I'm not such a lightweight like you are," he teased back.

I gave him a little push, grinning, and almost toppled over.

"Maybe it's time for you to go to bed as well," Dimitri noted. "Sleep off your drunken state."

"Hmm, maybe you're right," I mumbled, my eyes drooping a little. "I'm exhausted."

"Come on," Dimitri said, standing up.

He held out his hands. I grabbed them and he pulled me up. As he did, I bumped into him and started giggling again. The sound was starting to annoy me, but I couldn't seem to stop.

"You are really drunk," Dimitri said, shaking his head at me. "You think you can walk without falling to the ground?"

I shrugged.

"Never mind," Dimitri muttered.

Suddenly, I was lifted into the air. I let out a surprised yelp and wrapped my arms around Dimitri's neck. "You are a true gentleman, Dimitri," I said, laughing.

He rolled his eyes at me, but smiled reluctantly. I was quiet as he carried me upstairs to my room; the exhaustion was slowly taking over. When he put me down on my bed, I let out a relieved sigh. And as I lay on my bed, my happy mood dropped suddenly when a thought entered my mind. It was a depressing thought.

"You know, the last time I'd gotten drunk, I'd promised myself I'd never get drunk again. Ever," I told Dimitri. "Because I always feel awful the next day."

"Really?" Dimitri said, slightly amused. "Do I need to escort you to the bathroom first before you go to sleep?

"No, no, I'm not going to vomit," I said, waving away his worries.

"You sure?" he asked.

I nodded. "Do you know the other reason why I don't want to get drunk anymore?"

"No," Dimitri said, still amused.

I sighed. "Because alcohol killed Adrian."

Dimitri's smile dropped. "Rose…"

"Well, alcohol was part of it," I corrected myself. I looked at Dimitri with tears in my eyes. _Oh God, please don't cry now. Don't you dare cry, Rose._ But I couldn't stop the waterfall of tears from falling. "I – I'm sorry," I sobbed. "I was…doing really well…not thinking about him tonight, but… I just ruined it. W-why do I keep doing that? I'm sorry."

"Rose, it's okay," Dimitri said softly. "You're grieving. It's okay to cry."

I shook my head at him as tears streamed down my face. "I don't want to cry anymore. I don't want to feel this way anymore!" I cried.

"I know, I know," Dimitri murmured soothingly.

"I know you said that the pain would fade, but when is that going to happen?" I said, desperate. "When? I just want it to be over."

Dimitri kept murmuring soothing words as I cried. Finally, I calmed down and he fell silent. I glanced up at him, embarrassed.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I didn't mean to start crying… _again_."

"It's okay, Rose," he whispered back. "It's okay." We were silent for a while, then he said quietly, "Do you need something? Some water? Something else?"

"Do you have something for my headache?" I asked.

"Yes, I'll get it for you," he said. "I'll be right back."

I nodded and watched him leave my room. I was still embarrassed about my outburst. I really hadn't wanted him to witness me crying – again. And worst of all, he didn't even know the real reason why I was crying. True, I was still grieving Adrian and I knew it would take a long time for the pain to go away.

But Adrian wasn't the only reason why I'd burst out in tears. It was also because of Dimitri. Because of my confusion. Because of my guilt. It was getting worse by the day and I had no idea what to do about it.

Dimitri returned with some Advil. I swallowed the pills and sipped some water, then lay back down. Dimitri sat on the edge of the bed, watching me. "Are you going to be okay?"

 _I don't know._ "Yes, thank you," I lied.

"Do you need anything else?" he asked, concerned.

I hesitated, biting my lower lip. Tears built up in my eyes again, but I pushed them back. "Can you stay for a while? Please? I don't want to be alone," I whispered at last.

Dimitri looked surprised by my request. For a moment, I thought he was going to turn me down, but then he nodded. "Of course."

He lay down next to me on the bed and I rolled over, snuggling against his side, ignoring the guilt gnawing at me.

"Thank you," I murmured.

Dimitri put his arm around me. Slowly, he leaned in and my heart skipped a beat when he pressed a soft kiss to my forehead.

"You're welcome, Roza," he said, his voice gentle and soft. "Go to sleep now. I'll stay here with you."

He reached for my hand and squeezed it gently. Relieved that Dimitri was here with me, I closed my eyes and let sleep take over.

* * *

 _I hope you liked it, even though it was more of a filler chapter. But hey, it's better than nothing, right? ;)  
Have a nice day/evening! ^^_


	14. Chapter 14

_Hi! It's been long, I know, but I've finished a new chapter at last! This chapter only consists of flashblacks. Enjoy! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 14**

 **DPOV – JUNE 9, 2013**

I woke up with a start by the sound of urgent knocking on the door. It was accompanied by a desperate voice, calling, "Please open the door, Adrian! I really need to talk to you!"

I recognized that voice immediately. _Rose._ Was there something wrong?

I flew out of bed and got dressed hurriedly. When I opened the front door, Rose looked relieved to see me.

"Is Adrian here? I need to talk to him!" she said, marching inside.

"I don't know," I responded. I hadn't heard Adrian come home last night. I walked over to his bedroom and opened the door. Maybe he was still asleep. But Adrian wasn't there. And it didn't look like he'd slept here last night. "No, he isn't. I'm sorry."

"Where is he? I've called him several times," Rose said, distraught.

"I don't know. I guess he already left for work," I said, a little confused.

I didn't understand. If Adrian hadn't come home last night, I would have thought he'd stayed with Rose. But she clearly didn't know where he was. Then where the hell was he at six o'clock on a Monday morning?

"Shit," Rose muttered.

"What's wrong?" I asked, worried.

She sighed. "Nothing, really." She moved to the couch and sat down. "I have a job interview this afternoon and I'm freaking out. I guess I just wanted Adrian to reassure me a little."

"Oh." I took in her attire. She was wearing a white blouse and a black skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She looked very formal. And hot. Very hot. "Well, don't worry too much. I'm sure you'll do well, Rose," I told her with a smile.

"I don't know," she said sighing. "It's my first job interview and I really like this school so I want to do well…" She got up from the couch and looked at me expectantly. "Do you think this skirt is too short?" she asked, tugging at the hem.

 _Oh, shit!_ Now I was forced to look at her legs. Her bare legs… "No, it's fine," I choked out, tearing my gaze away from her beautiful legs. "It's…perfect."

"Really? What about my blouse? Should I show some cleavage or button it up completely? I don't want to look like a slut, but I don't want to look like a prude either."

 _Are you fucking kidding me? Why is this happening to me?_

"Umm, you could leave the top button open," I suggested, looking away from her.

"Okay, thanks, comrade," she said smiling brightly. "I'm so sorry for bothering you with this – and I'm also very sorry for barging in this early in the morning. I didn't mean to wake you up."

"I have to leave for work in an hour so it's fine," I answered with a shrug.

"Can I stay here until then?" she asked, a pleading look on her face. "I'm so nervous for this interview and I could use some help. Adrian promised he'd prep me, but he's not here," she added, scowling.

"I'll help you out," I said quickly. "It's no problem."

She sat back down on the couch. "Thank you so much, Dimitri. Normally, I'm not this nervous. Ever. But this interview is really important."

"I know," I responded, "and I'll help you in whatever way I can."

She smiled gratefully and I felt myself smile back automatically. As we practiced her interview, I wondered where the hell Adrian was. He'd promised to help Rose out, but he'd stood her up. Well, this wasn't the first time that something like this had happened. I didn't understand why Rose put up with this. I didn't understand why Rose put up with _him_.

Adrian was my best friend and I cared a lot about him, but this was…this wasn't right. Rose deserved to be treated with more respect. I was used to this kind of behavior – I grew up with Adrian – so I'd accepted it a long time ago.

But Rose was counting on him and half of the time Adrian wasn't here for her. And when he didn't show up, I was the one who had to deal with Rose. Not that I minded that – not at all, actually. I loved spending time with Rose, more than I cared to admit. But it made me angry that Adrian was never here when she needed him. She deserved better than that.

If Rose had been my girlfriend… _No, don't go there. Do not go there, Dimitri!_

"Thank you for all your help, Dimitri," Rose said as we left the apartment. "I owe you one."

"It's fine, Rose," I said smiling. "I'm glad I was able to help."

"I wish I could do something in return," she said as she stepped into the elevator. I followed her in. "Is there anything you need?"

"No, I don't need anything. Thank you, though."

"Well, the least I can do is buy you a drink," Rose said. "How about tonight? I'll text Adrian if he wants to come, too. Usually, he replies to that kind of message," she muttered darkly.

"Thanks, Rose, but you don't have to," I told her gently.

"I insist," she said firmly. We stepped out of the elevator and walked out of the building. "Drinks tonight at Joe's bar. Is eight p.m. good for you?"

I smiled again. "That's fine. I'll be there. Good luck with the interview."

"Thanks." To my shock, she leaned up and kissed my cheek. "You're a lifesaver. See you later, comrade."

I stopped and watched her walk away from me, stunned.

During my lunch break, I tried calling Adrian. He didn't pick up, of course. _Where the hell is he?_ I was starting to worry now. What if something had happened to him?

But it turned out I was worrying for nothing. When I got home, Adrian was lying on the couch. The curtains were closed and his arm was draped over his eyes. I knew what that meant; he was hungover.

I shut the door loudly and Adrian jumped upright, startled.

"W-what?" he stammered, looking around wildly.

"Hi, Adrian," I said, my voice cool and calm. "How are you?"

He groaned and lay back down on the couch. "I'm fucking fantastic. As you can see."

"Where have you been? Rose was here this morning. She told me about the interview," I said, trying to stay calm. "She also told me _you_ would help her get ready, but you were nowhere to be found. Like usual."

Silence. Then a groan. "Shit!" he muttered, sitting up again. "I completely forgot about the interview! What else did she say? Was she angry?"

"No, she didn't seem to be angry," I answered. "Though she should be."

Adrian looked relieved. "Thank God."

I grunted. "So where have you been? Did you even come home last night?"

He rubbed his face with his hand. "No, I didn't. It was late so I crashed at a friend's house."

"And you didn't think to tell Rose?" I asked, clenching my jaw.

"Why? She doesn't need to know everything," Adrian said. "Besides, she doesn't like it when I go out for drinks with colleagues."

"That's because you always come home drunk," I told him.

Adrian rolled his eyes at me.

"This needs to change, Adrian," I said.

"What?"

" _This_!" I exclaimed, waving in his direction. "Your attitude. Rose isn't going to put up with this forever."

"With what? I'm not doing anything wrong!" Adrian shot back, scowling.

"You keep disappearing whenever she needs you! And you never keep your promises!"

Adrian gave me an incredulous look. "That's not true!"

"Come on, Adrian," I said, crossing my arms. "You promised to help her with the interview. You didn't. Last week, you promised to do something special for your anniversary. But you didn't. The list goes on and on…"

He was still scowling at me. "How do you know?"

"Because I'm the one who has to deal with her when you don't show up!" Again, I did not mind spending time with Rose. But Adrian didn't need to know that. "I don't mind helping her out, but I think you should show her more respect. She deserves better than this, Adrian. And she deserves someone who's actually there for her."

Adrian looked annoyed. "Why do you care so much?"

 _You don't want to know…_

I sighed. "You're my best friend, Adrian, and I know you love Rose... I know how you'd feel if she ever broke up with you so that's why I'm telling you this. Treat her better. Or do you want her to leave you?"

A part of me would be more than happy if that happened, but what kind of best friend was I if I hoped she'd break up with him?

Adrian was quiet for a few moments. "I guess you're right," he admitted at last. "I should treat her better."

 _Finally._

"Good," I said. Turning away from him, I started for my room. I needed a minute to cool off. "Now sleep off your hangover. Rose wants to meet us for drinks later tonight."

"What?" Adrian exclaimed.

I turned back around. "Yeah. As a thank you for helping her out with her interview," I said, glaring at him.

He grimaced. "I don't think I can go. I had too much to drink last night. I feel awful."

I shrugged. "Fine, then I'll go alone."

"Please tell Rose I'm sorry," Adrian called after me. "And tell her that I'll make it up to her."

"Whatever you say," I muttered, closing my bedroom door behind me.

At first I was still too angry at Adrian to look forward to an evening alone with Rose, but as the day progressed, I started to get excited to see her tonight – without Adrian present. I knew I should feel guilty for feeling this way, but I was still pissed at him so right now I didn't care that I was in love with his girlfriend and that I was meeting her tonight for drinks.

It almost sounded like a date, but I knew better. She loved Adrian and just wanted to thank me for my help. That was all. But still, I was happy I got to spend tonight with her. Most of the times, I felt guilty if I spent time with her without Adrian being there. But now…now I couldn't care less.

Rose was already sitting at the bar when I arrived at Joe's. She looked up when I entered, a grin on her face, as she waved me over.

"Hey comrade," she greeted me, the grin on her face broadening.

"Hey," I said, smiling warmly. I glanced over at Joe and ordered a beer.

"Where's Adrian?" Rose asked, sipping her cocktail.

My smile faded. "He couldn't make it."

Rose frowned. "Why not?"

"When I came home from work, he was sleeping off his hangover," I told her honestly. "He wasn't feeling well enough to join us."

Rose pursed her lips. "Wonderful. So he didn't show up this morning because he was still drunk." She shook her head, clearly annoyed. "He never even told me he was going out last night." She glanced up at me and added, "Look, normally I'm not the kind of girl who needs to know where her boyfriend is at all times. I'm not like that." Her voice was getting louder and louder with every sentence. She was angry. Really angry. "But Adrian never texts or calls me when he can't make it. For all I know, he's lying somewhere in a ditch and I can't help him. While I'm worrying about him, he's out, having fun with his buddies from work. It's not fair."

"I know, Rose," I said quietly. "I told him so and he said he would do better next time. He also says he's sorry and that he would make it up to you," I added begrudgingly.

Adrian should tell her this himself, but instead I was apologizing for him. I kept mending their relationship when something went wrong. I wanted them to be happy, but it was making _me_ unhappy because I had to watch how the woman that I loved love another – my best friend. I wasn't sure how much longer I could do this.

Rose sighed. "You're the only one Adrian listens to. I hope he means it this time."

I wanted to ask her if she was going to break up with him if he didn't mean it, but the thought alone was making me feel guilty again.

"Anyway, let's not talk about him anymore," she said. "It will only make me even more annoyed."

"Okay," I agreed. Changing the subject, I asked the question I'd wanted to ask since I'd arrived. "So how did your interview go?"

Her face lit up. "It went great! I was so nervous, but…"

She launched into the story, her face glowing with happiness, and I couldn't help but stare at her in fascination. She was so wonderful, so perfect. I didn't understand why Adrian didn't want to be around her all the time. I didn't understand why Adrian would rather get drunk with his colleagues than be with Rose. _Don't think about that again, Dimitri. It'll only piss you off._

When it was getting late, I walked Rose home. She'd just moved into a new apartment with her best friend, Lissa, after graduating from college a couple of weeks ago. Her apartment was only a few blocks away so, unfortunately, it didn't take long to get there.

"Thank you for tonight, Dimitri," Rose said smiling when we stopped at her apartment door. "I had fun."

"I did too," I told her honestly.

"And I'm really sorry that you're always caught in the middle between Adrian and me," Rose said. "It must be hard for you as well, seeing as Adrian is your best friend…"

 _And you...the woman I love_ , I added silently.

"So I'm sorry," Rose said, an apologetic look on her face.

"It's okay. I just want you two to be happy," I answered, forcing a smile onto my face.

Rose nodded, looking down at her feet. "Yeah," she said quietly, sounding a little sad.

"Rose…" She lifted her head, an expectant look on her face. Staring back, I swallowed past the lump in my throat and asked after a few moments of hesitation, "Are you? Happy with him, I mean."

She gazed at me, silent. She opened her mouth to say something, but then she closed it again. She glanced away from me and when she turned her gaze back on me, there was a forlorn look on her face, but it disappeared quickly.

"Yes, of course," she said after a pause.

I wasn't sure if she was telling the truth. She sounded…hesitant. Unsure. But it didn't really matter. It was none of my business. I shouldn't have even asked. And I certainly shouldn't have hoped that her response would be a definite no. I was a terrible best friend.

"That's good," I forced myself to say.

She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, seeming a little uncomfortable. "Yeah… I guess so."

She glanced at the door, then back at me. "I should go inside. Thanks again for tonight," she said, giving me a small smile.

"No problem," I answered. "I'll, um, see you around. Good night, Rose."

Her smile widened a little. "Good night, Dimitri."

I didn't want to leave, but I had no reason to stay and talk some more to her. The night was over and I should go home. Rose slipped inside her apartment and I turned around, making my way to the exit, all the while thinking, _Why did she hesitate? Does that mean she isn't happy with Adrian?_

Could it really be she was not happy with Adrian? Did she want to break up with him? _Forget it, Dimitri. That's not going to happen. And even if she did break up with him, do you seriously think she'd come to you? For one, she isn't interested in you at all. And second, even if there was a slim chance that she's interested, would you really consider dating her? It would completely ruin your friendship with Adrian._

I wish it was true that I didn't care, but I did. And deep down, I knew I couldn't carry on like this any longer. If I didn't want to lose Adrian, I needed to get over Rose. I needed to forget about her and move on. Because, as much as I wished for it, I knew we were never going to happen.

I needed to stop pining after Rose and distance myself from her – and their relationship – in order to save my friendship with Adrian. It was for the best – for everyone.

 **RPOV – JUNE 9, 2013**

"Oh hey, you're back!" Lissa exclaimed, jumping up from the couch.

I forced a smile onto my face. "You look happy."

"I am," she squealed, bounding down towards me. "Guess what? Christian finally asked me out!"

I snorted. "About time!"

Lissa had met Christian in the library when she'd still been dating Aaron. He was the guy she'd been texting all night during our double date. Lissa'd liked Christian immediately and she'd known he was into her as well, but he'd never had the courage to ask her out. Until now.

"Yes!" she said, glowing with happiness. "We're going out tomorrow night. I can hardly wait!"

My smile was genuine now. "That's good. I'm happy for you."

She hugged me tightly and squealed, overjoyed. When she let me go, she looked at me and asked, "So how was your night?"

"It was fun," I said truthfully. "I had a good time with Dimitri."

Liss arched an eyebrow at me. "Dimitri? What about Adrian?"

I shrugged. "He didn't show." _Again._

Lissa frowned. "You look…not okay. Is there something you're not telling me?"

I did not want to talk about my problems with Adrian. Not tonight. Besides, I still had a lot of unpacking to do. It was a good excuse to get Lissa off my back. "Nope, everything's fine," I said casually. "I still have to unpack my stuff so I'll be going now…"

"No, wait," Lissa said, stopping me as she stepped in front of me. "There's something wrong. I can see it. Why won't you tell me? And don't tell me you have no time to talk right now. You can unpack tomorrow," she added when she saw the look on my face.

I walked over to the couch and sat down, sighing. "I love Adrian, but the way things are going…" I couldn't believe I had actual tears in my eyes. Quickly, I forced them back. "I always show up when he needs me, but he never returns the favor. I don't mind that he wants to spend time with his friends, but I'd like it if he would tell me so I can make plans as well." I was rambling. "He stood me up today. Again. And do you know why? Because he'd gone out with his colleagues last night and he crashed there because he was too drunk to drive home. Like I said, I don't care if he wants to go out with friends, he has every right to do so, but not when he agreed to meet me. Or at least he could have the decency to give me a call when he can't make it. But no, I just have to guess or ask Dimitri."

I was getting angry again. Really angry. Why was this so hard for Adrian to understand?

"Adrian was supposed to prep me for my interview this morning – he _promised_ – but he was still with his friends. Instead, Dimitri helped me."

Lissa looked at me with sympathy. "I'm sorry, Rose. That's not very considerate of Adrian." She was quiet for a moment. Then she arched an eyebrow at me and said, "But that doesn't explain why you were with Dimitri tonight."

I knew she wasn't going to let that one go. "I wanted to buy him a drink because he helped me," I explained. "I told him to invite Adrian as well. But guess what, Adrian was still too drunk from last night to come along."

Lissa sat down next to me on the couch. "Maybe you should talk to Adrian. Yu should make clear that this won't work out if he doesn't change."

I snorted. "Dimitri said that too."

"Well, he's right," she said. "You really should talk to Adrian and tell him how you feel."

I nodded. "I think I will." I looked up at her and gave her a grateful smile. Talking to her had lifted my mood a little. "Thanks, Liss."

She smiled back. "You're welcome."

I hugged her, then stood up. "Alright, I'm tired so I'm going to bed. I'll unpack my things tomorrow. Or maybe never."

Lissa rolled her eyes at me.

I grinned. "Good night, Liss."

"Night, Rose."

* * *

 _There you go. I hope you liked the flashbacks. I should be able to update next week, seeing as I have a couple of weeks off from school now. Happy holidays everyone! :) xoxo_


	15. Chapter 15

_A new year is like a blank book, and the pen is in your hands. It is your chance to write a beautiful story for yourself. Happy New Year! :D_

 _Thank you so much for the reviews! I hope you enjoy the new chapter. :)_

 _ **Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.**_

* * *

 **CHAPTER 15**

 **DPOV – JULY 19, 2015**

She looked so peaceful when asleep. I knew she hadn't been sleeping well the past few weeks – Lissa had told me so – but last night she'd fallen asleep almost instantly after I'd calmed her down. Maybe it was all the booze that had made her fall asleep so easily, but a part of me was secretly hoping that it had something to do with me. It was a ridiculous thought, but a man could dream, right?

Rose let out a soft sigh and snuggled closer to me, still fast asleep. A slow smile spread across my face as I carefully stroked her hair. I'd always dreamed of waking up next to Rose, but today it actually happened. It was real. I only wished that it had happened under different circumstances.

Last night, Rose had hit another low. I'd know it was bound to happen, but it was still devastating to see how much Rose was hurting. She rarely showed it and when she did, all I could do was comfort her and tell her she would be okay.

Eventually.

Or that is what I hoped would happen. The last thing I wanted was for her to be in pain for the rest of her life. I wanted her to be happy again.

Rose shifted again and I looked down at her angelic face. Slowly, she opened her eyes. When she noticed me, she blinked a couple of times, looking confused and surprised at the same time.

"Hi," she croaked out.

I gave her a small smile and sat up, putting some space between us before she realized how close we were to each other. Last time we were so close, she'd shut down completely and left abruptly. Or she might have left because I'd called her Roza. Probably both.

"Good morning," I said. "How are you feeling?"

Rose sat up as well. "Better than I would have expected," she answered.

"Probably because of the Advil I gave you last night," I told her.

"Probably," she agreed, nodding. She looked out the window and then back at me. "How long was I out?"

"Ten hours, I think. It's just past eleven," I answered, looking down at my watch.

"Did you stay with me all night?" she asked.

"Yes. I wanted to make sure you were okay."

To my surprise, she blushed. "Oh, thanks. You didn't have to do that, though."

"It's fine. You were really…" I paused, not really wanting to bring the subject up again because it would probably make her sad again. "You know," I said awkwardly. "I just thought it was better to stay in case you needed me or something."

She smiled this time. "Thanks, comrade. That's really sweet of you."

I think my heart skipped a beat. "You're welcome, Roz – _Rose_ ," I corrected myself quickly. Before things could get awkward, I started to get up. "I should let you get ready."

Avoiding her gaze, I hurried out of her room. When I went downstairs, I found her friends gathered around the kitchen table. Lissa looked miserable as she held her head in her hands, groaning.

"Hangover?" I asked.

Lissa grimaced. "Yeah. Wherew's Rose?"

"She just woke up," I answered. "She's getting ready now."

I could feel Mason glaring at me. I bet he was wondering how I knew she'd just woken up. Well, I wasn't going to enlighten him.

"How is she feeling? Does she have a hangover as well?" Lissa asked. "She'd drunk a lot last night…"

Christian snorted. "Not as much as you, babe."

Lissa cut him a look and he shrugged unapologetically.

"No, she's fine," I said when Lissa gave me an expectant look. I think, I added silently as I thought back to that moment when Rose had started crying last night. I didn't tell Lissa, though, because I knew Rose would be embarrassed if anyone knew.

But then, to my surprise, Mason said in a sharp voice, "Are you sure about that? Because when I came upstairs last night, I heard her crying."

He knew?!

Lissa looked worried. "What? I didn't hear anything."

"I heard it too," Christian commented quietly.

Lissa turned to look at him. "Why didn't you tell me?" she exclaimed.

"You were knocked out cold and I didn't want to worry you," he answered calmly.

"Why was she crying?" Mason demanded. "Did _you_ make her cry?"

"Mason," Eddie warned.

"I didn't do anything," I defended myself, trying to stay calm. The last thing I wanted to do was cause a scene, but this guy was really starting to get on my nerves. "She was crying because of Adrian. She misses him."

"You better not be lying, because if you hurt her, I'll-"

"Mason!" Eddie scolded. "Stop it already."

I glared at Mason. Did he forget that he was in my house? Why was he even jealous? There was no reason for him to act like this.

"Look, I don't know what your deal is, but I'm only trying to help Rose," I told him fiercely.

He glared back, but didn't respond. After a few moments, he turned around and walked away. Three seconds later I heard the front door slam closed.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri," Eddie apologized. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

"It's fine," I sighed, waving away his apology.

Thankfully, he – and the rest – was leaving tomorrow. But that also meant Rose was leaving and I didn't want her to leave. I wanted her to stay here, but I knew she'd never do that. She didn't have a reason to. Well, I could ask her to stay, but I wasn't going to do that. It would only make things even more awkward between us.

"I'd better go check on him," Eddie muttered, leaving the kitchen.

There was a moment of silence. I took a seat at the table, across from Lissa and Christian.

"Are you sure she's okay?" Lissa asked.

"I don't know," I answered softly, still glum about the fact that Rose was leaving tomorrow. "I hope so."

 **RPOV – SEPTEMBER 17, 2013**

"Hey baby, how was work today?" Adrian asked me, a happy smile on his face as he greeted me with a kiss.

"It was good, thanks," I answered, smiling. I'd found a job at a small high school as a biology teacher and so far things had been great. Having so many teens in my classes was a little hectic, but I loved my job. "How was your day?"

"It was okay. I missed you a lot," he said, pouting at me.

I laughed. "Really?"

He smiled again. "Really. So that's why I got you these flowers…" To my surprise, he pulled a bunch of red roses from behind his back and handed them to me. "They reminded me of you."

Truthfully, I hated roses, but I appreciated the kind gesture so I said, "Thank you, Adrian. That's really sweet of you."

I leaned in and kissed him. When I pulled back, he looked very pleased with himself. Taking my hand in his, he started to lead me away from the school.

A lot of things had changed in the past few months – and they had changed for the better. It happened right after Adrian had stood me up on that day I had my job interview. Honestly, I think I had Dimitri to thank for it. He'd apparently talked some sense into Adrian. Ever since that day, he'd never run late again, never forgotten about me and when he couldn't make it because he was still working he texted or called me. He'd also become very attentive and gallant. Yep, you could definitely say a lot had changed.

Unfortunately, the drinking and smoking hadn't changed one bit, but I guess I could live with that. Besides, he only drank a lot when he was out with colleagues or friends. I was confident that his drinking habits would change as well when he got older and didn't feel like partying anymore.

But most importantly, I was happy. Adrian made me happy and that was all that mattered.

After dinner, we returned to his apartment. Adrian opened the door for me, bowing like a gentleman as he let me enter.

"After you, Miss," he said with a huge grin on his face.

Rolling my eyes, I laughed. "Why, thank you, Sir."

I walked inside and abruptly stopped laughing when I noticed Dimitri sitting on the couch with a black-haired woman. She was leaning into him. I couldn't see their faces, but they sure seemed to be having a good time as they laughed loudly about something.

"Hello, we're back," Adrian announced. When he noticed the woman, he said casually, "Oh hey, Tasha! Good to see you again."

Wait, what? Adrian knew her?

The strange woman and Dimitri turned around to look at us.

"Hey Adrian," the woman greeted him with a smile. She eyed me carefully. "Hello," she said politely. "I'm Tasha."

I looked at her, still stunned. I felt Adrian give me a little nudge in the back and I finally snapped out of my trance. When I found my voice again, I said slowly, "Hi. I'm Rose."

Tasha looked me up and down. Then she smiled again, but it seemed fake. "It's nice to meet you, Rose. Are you Adrian's girlfriend?"

Again – how did she know Adrian? And how did she know Dimitri? Why was she sitting here with him? As long as I'd known Dimitri, he'd never brought a girl home. At least not when I was around. I had to admit she was beautiful with her jet-black hair and icy blue eyes. Unlike me, she was tall and slim.

I glanced at Dimitri, but he was looking down, avoiding my gaze. I hadn't seen him a lot in the past few months. Adrian said he'd been busy with work, but I guess he'd also been busy dating girls like Tasha.

 _What the hell is wrong with me?_ I scolded myself. _Why do I even care? Dimitri's allowed to go out with girls. And who's to say that Tasha is his girlfriend? Maybe they're just friends._

But a voice inside my head told me Dimitri wouldn't just bring anyone to his home. She must be special. Why was I thinking about this? It was none of my business.

"Yes, I am," I forced out. I glanced at Dimitri again, who stayed quiet. _Why won't you look at me?_ "It's nice to meet you too, Tasha."

I wanted to ask if she was Dimitri's girlfriend, but I didn't want to make things awkward. So I stayed silent and waited for Dimitri to speak. But he didn't.

Tasha smiled that fake smile again and looked back at Dimitri. "Shall we go?" she asked, getting up.

Dimitri nodded and followed her to the door. He brushed past me without looking at me and I kept thinking, _Why won't you look at me, Dimitri? What's wrong? And why are you with this girl?_

When the door closed, I turned to Adrian. "You didn't tell me Dimitri had a girlfriend," I said quietly.

He shrugged. "I didn't think it was important. Besides, I'm not sure she is his girlfriend," he added as he shrugged out of his coat. "They've been seeing each other casually. That's what he told me, at least."

But why hadn't he told me? I was his friend, right? So why hadn't he told me about Tasha? I couldn't help but feel a little hurt.

"How long have they been seeing each other?" I asked, masking my feelings.

"I don't know, a couple of weeks," Adrian answered. "All I know is that they met through a mutual friend."

I raised an eyebrow at him. "It wasn't me," he added quickly.

"I know that," I said, a little annoyed.

"As a matter of fact, I think it was Eddie," Adrian mused.

 _Oh._ Eddie was a longtime friend of Adrian and Dimitri. They met in college. Last time we'd seen Eddie, he actually mentioned that he wanted to set Dimitri up with someone. I'd never thought Dimitri would agree to meet her.

"Why do you want to know anyway?" Adrian asked, a small frown on his face.

I shrugged casually. "I just thought it was weird he didn't tell me, that's all. I mean, I'm his friend and you should tell your friends something important like that."

I was just making it up as I went along. I didn't want Adrian to be suspicious. Besides, there was no need for him to be suspicious. I was just being a concerned friend.

"Well, a man is entitled to his secrets."

I crossed my arms, scowling. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Adrian held up his hands in surrender and grinned. "Nothing, babe. I'm just teasing." I was still scowling. "Relax, Rose," he said, grabbing my hands and lacing our fingers together. "I didn't mean anything by it."

"I know," I said softly as I let him pull me to his chest.

He wrapped his arms around me and kissed the top of my head. "It seems like we'll have the apartment to ourselves. What do you say, wanna have sex on the couch?" he said, wiggling his eyebrows at me. "Or the kitchen table?"

How romantic.

"Ugh no, I'm not in the mood, Adrian," I said, stepping out of his embrace.

He pouted at me, but didn't protest. "Alright. Let's just watch a movie, then."

I agreed and sat down on the couch. The couch where Dimitri and Tasha had been sitting on just a few minutes ago.

I sighed and tried to get comfortable and watch the movie. But it didn't work. All I kept thinking about was that Dimitri was out with a girl – a very pretty girl – named Tasha and that I hadn't known about her. But what bothered me the most was why I felt jealous when I had no reason to be. After all, I was happy with Adrian.

Right?

* * *

 _Next chapter will contain another flashback and something you've all been waiting for... ;) Please leave a review and let me know if you liked this chapter! Have a great weekend! :)_


	16. Chapter 16

_Hello again! Sorry I haven't been able to update in a while. I had exams and aside from that I had to deal with some stuff first. But I didn't forget about you guys. You're all so patiently waiting for me to update and I want to thank you for that. So here's the chapter you've all been waiting for (I think). Enjoy :)_

 _ **Important note:** I'm not sure if I said it already, but Tasha and Christian aren't related in this story._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 16**

 **RPOV – NOVEMBER 22, 2013**

Why in the world had I said yes to this double – no, wait, triple – date? I couldn't stand to be in the same room as Tasha so why the hell had I agreed to have dinner with her and Dimitri? Oh, wait. I remember. Adrian had asked me to and I stupidly had said yes. Thankfully, Lissa and Christian were here as well. I don't think I would have survived without them. They didn't seem to be fond of Tasha either. Adrian was oblivious to Tasha's mean streak, however. And so was Dimitri.

For the life of me, I still didn't understand how he could date her, how he could have dated her for three months now. She was a bitch and she was fake. And I hated her.

And, strangely, she resembled Christian a little. Both of them had black hair and intense blue eyes. I asked if they were related somehow, but Christian immediately shook his head and told me no. I liked that he didn't like Tasha at all.

When I first met Christian, I didn't like him all that much. He was sarcastic and snarky so actually he was a lot like me. But he could be kind as well and he treated Lissa like a princess so who was I to stop them from being happy together?

But Tasha… _No_. I knew I would never ever like her – not in a million years. However, if Dimitri wanted to be with her, then I had no other choice than to be polite to her. But that proved to be very hard sometimes.

Like tonight.

Tasha was clinging to Dimitri like he was her lifeline while she talked about some insignificant encounter with some guy she had today. She claimed he was stalking her and that Dimitri should do something about it. I didn't buy it; she just wanted to draw attention to herself.

But to my satisfaction, Dimitri didn't seem interested at all in her story. He wasn't paying attention to her like she wanted him to. I wondered why. I knew Dimitri wasn't into PDA, but apparently Tasha didn't get the memo.

To aggravate her a little more, I asked, "Are you okay, comrade?"

She detested it when I called Dimitri by his nickname, but she didn't show it – most of the times. Usually, she put another fake smile on her face, but tonight she was scowling at me.

Dimitri looked up at me and gave me a small smile. "I'm fine, Rose."

I didn't believe him. He seemed a little down for some reason and I wanted to cheer him up. "Hey, have you watched that new Western movie yet? I think it's called 'Revenge'."

Dimitri shook his head at me.

"It's out in theaters now. Do you wanna go watch it with me next week?" I asked, grinning. "I saw the trailer and I thought it was badass."

He started smiling. "Sure, Rose."

I smiled back, eager. "Great!"

Lissa glanced at me, a confused look on her face. Tasha, on the other hand, gave me a death stare as she crushed her French fries with her fork.

"I'll go with you, Dimka," Tasha said sweetly. "I want to see the movie, too."

I scowled at her. Dimitri glanced at me, then back at Tasha, nervous. I knew he didn't want to make Tasha mad, which he would if he told her he would go with me, and I didn't want her to take her anger out on him because he didn't deserve that.

So, suppressing a sigh, I said, "It's fine. You two go. I'll watch the movie some other time."

"Not with me," Adrian said quickly. "I hate Western. Sorry, dude," he added, glancing at Dimitri, "but that's not for me."

"I'll go on my own," I said with a shrug.

Dimitri looked guilty. "Why don't you come along with us?"

Tasha glared at him. "Dimka," she said, pouting.

An annoyed look crossed his face, but it disappeared quickly. "You can come with us," he repeated, giving me a hopeful look.

I forced a smile onto my face. "No, it's fine, comrade. I don't even know if I'll have time to go anyway. Work has been hectic lately," I lied.

He nodded. "Okay."

I tried to hide my disappointment. Ever since Dimitri had started dating Tasha, he'd been avoiding me. Sort of. We used to talk to each other pretty much every day, but whenever I came to the apartment now, he'd disappear into his room or he'd leave to see Tasha.

Tonight was the first time he'd agreed to spend some time with me, but then Tasha had to ruin it. I had to admit that I missed Dimitri. He'd become a close friend since I'd started dating Adrian eighteen months ago. But our friendship was pretty much over thanks to Tasha.

"Ooh, it's so hot in here," Lissa exclaimed suddenly, waving her napkin in front of her face. "Rose, you want to go outside with me for a bit?"

I looked at her strangely. "Uh, sure."

Grabbing my coat, I put it on and followed Lissa outside. She started shaking as soon as we got outside and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Why didn't you bring your coat?" I asked.

"Because I was pretending to be hot!" she retorted.

I arched an eyebrow at her, surprised and confused. "You were pretending? Why?"

"Because I need to talk to you," she said, her voice firm.

I was still confused. "About what?"

"Dimitri," she answered. "What the hell was that about? Why did you want to go watch a movie with him?"

"Uh, because we do that almost every month," I told her. I paused, frowning. "Well, we used to do that. We don't anymore, which I have that horrible bitch to thank for."

Lissa raised her eyebrows at my outburst. "Okay, I have a few things to say."

"Well, say them," I said as I glanced over her shoulder and looked inside the restaurant. Tasha was clinging to Dimitri again and he seemed annoyed by it. Good.

"First, why do you wanna go watch movies with Dimitri when you can watch them with Adrian?" she asked. "I mean, he's your boyfriend. Doesn't he think it's weird that you go out with his best friend?"

"No, he thinks it's great we get along. Besides, he's more than fine with me going to the movies with Dimitri because that means he doesn't have to do it," I told her. "Adrian hates Westerns."

"Yes, that's the second thing," she said. "Since when do you like Westerns?!"

I shrugged. I didn't want to admit to her that I didn't really like Westerns. Well, that wasn't completely true. Some of them I liked. And I really thought that new movie would be cool. But I guess I wouldn't be watching it now thanks to the bitch.

When I didn't reply, Lissa continued, "And I don't know what you're trying to do, but having Tasha on your bad side is not something you need."

"I'm not doing anything! I'm just trying to have a conversation with Dimitri," I responded curtly, crossing my arms.

"Are you?" Lissa asked, a doubtful look on her face. "Or are you trying to make her jealous?"

I gaped at her. "No! Why would you think that?"

She looked at me for a long time, quiet. Then she sighed. "Do you like Dimitri? Is that why you hate Tasha so much?"

I blinked in surprise. "I can't believe you'd think that," I exclaimed in outrage. "I'm with Adrian. I just hate Tasha because she's mean and fake and she's not right for Dimitri."

"What makes you say that?"

I looked at her as if she was crazy. "Hello? Have you met the woman?" I scowled at her. "You told me yourself you didn't like her either."

"That's true, but not for the same reasons you don't like her," Lissa said, eyeing me carefully.

"I don't even know what that means," I said, annoyed. "I dislike her for the same reasons you dislike her, Lissa. I have known Dimitri for a long time now and I know that she isn't right for him. Just look at him, he's miserable. I don't understand why he doesn't break up with her."

"So that's what you're trying to do? You're trying to break them up?"

I stared at her, incredulous. "No!" I paused, then grinned. "But that's a good idea!"

"Rose, don't," Lissa warned. "If Dimitri wants to end their relationship, let him do it on his own. He doesn't need your help."

"Maybe he does," I shot back.

"No," Lissa said firmly. I scowled at her. "Let's go back inside now. I'm freezing."

Reluctantly, I followed her back inside.

"Everything okay?" Christian asked, concerned.

I felt Dimitri's stare on me, but I ignored it and forced another smile onto my face. "Everything's perfect."

 **RPOV – JULY 19, 2015**

After I had breakfast, I quietly returned to my room and stayed there the rest of the day so I wouldn't run into Dimitri. I was so embarrassed about last night. He'd seen me cry before, true, but last night was way worse because I'd been drunk as well. And because my crying episode had more to do with my confusion about Dimitri than my grief about losing Adrian. And then I'd sobbed because I felt guilty, so guilty, for even being confused about Dimitri when my fiancé had just died.

I sucked. Big time.

So I stayed in my room all day and hid from Dimitri and my friends. No one even tried to bother me, really. I figured they all thought I was sporting a hangover and needed to sleep it off.

When I was sure nobody was downstairs, I hurried to the kitchen and fetched some snacks for dinner, then ran back upstairs to my room. I knew I was being a coward, but I didn't care. I realized, though, I would have to face Dimitri some time.

It wasn't until midnight when I found the courage to go back downstairs. Everyone had gone to sleep, but I hadn't heard Dimitri return to his bedroom, which was right across the hall from mine. I found him on the couch, flipping through the channels on TV.

"Hi," I said, my voice high-pitched. Startled, he looked up at me and I cleared my throat. "Mind if I sit with you for a while?"

Slowly, he shook his head. I stepped forward and took a seat next to him, pulling up my knees and wrapping my arms around them.

"How come you're still up?" I asked.

"I can't sleep," he answered. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye. "You?"

"Same," I told him.

Silence fell over us and I could feel the tension in the air. I knew it was best to leave, but I couldn't. I didn't want to.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. Dimitri looked at me, a confused expression on his face. "About last night," I explained. "About-"

He shook his head at me. "I told you before, you don't have to apologize for crying."

"I know," I murmured, glancing down at my hands. "But you have your own grief to deal with. I don't need to burden you with mine."

Dimitri scooted closer to me. "I don't mind, Rose," he said gently. "I'm always here for you if you need me."

Hesitantly, I looked up at his face. He looked so sincere and when my eyes met his he smiled at me reassuringly. Nervously, I bit down on my lower lip.

"Last night… Adrian wasn't the only reason I was crying," I admitted, with my heart in my throat. Dimitri regarded me silently so I continued, "I've been so confused ever since I got here." I shook my head and muttered, "No, scratch that. Ever since you turned up at my door after Adrian's burial."

Dimitri's eyes widened a little. "Roza…" His eyes widened even more as soon as he realized what he'd said and he started to apologize, but I shook my head at him.

"No, it's okay. I like it when you call me Roza," I told him bravely. I couldn't believe I was really doing this. I couldn't believe I was having this conversation with him. I held his gaze and, swallowing past the lump in my throat, I continued, "I've always liked it."

He stared at me, a look of confusion and amazement on his face at the same time.

"But I feel guilty because I'm not supposed to like it when you call me Roza," I continued. Looking down, I sighed. "And while I'm supposed to be grieving Adrian, I'm here with you instead and I'm…" I felt the tears build up in my eyes. "I'm having so much fun with you, I'm so happy when you're around, that I forget about Adrian for a while. And I feel guilty for being happy when he's no longer here. I feel guilty for being happy when you are with me, Dimitri, but I can't help it. I just…" I took a deep breath and forced my tears back. "I wanted to hate you so much when you left…me. But I couldn't because it was my fault that you left. I know that what I did was wrong, I should never have done that, but I was confused about my feelings and-"

"Roza, you didn't do anything wrong," Dimitri started. "I shouldn't have-"

"No, wait, let me finish," I said, looking at him pleadingly. "I need to say this, because it's eating me up inside."

He nodded. "Okay," he whispered.

"When you came back a few weeks ago, I was confused again," I said, my voice wavering a little. "I still am, because I feel like I'm betraying Adrian whenever I'm with you. And I don't know what to do or feel or how to behave. I don't know anymore. I'm so confused and I feel guilty all the time for even being confused about my feelings."

Hesitantly, Dimitri reached out for my hand. I let him take my hand in his and, as he laced our fingers together, I looked up at him, the tears still in my eyes. He squeezed my hand gently.

"I understand that you feel confused and that you feel…guilty," he said. "I do, too. I feel guilty every day for loving my best friend's girlfriend."

I took a sharp intake of breath, my heart racing as I met his unwavering gaze. He still loved me? After all this time?

"But nothing's going to change what I feel for you," Dimitri continued, his voice quiet but firm. "And I don't want it to. I love you, Roza. I always have."

"Dimitri," I breathed.

"I'm not telling you this to confuse you even more," he added quickly. "And I'm not expecting you to return those feelings. I just…want you to know that nothing has changed for me."

I bit down on my lip again as I stared into his dark eyes. Taking a deep breath, I moved closer to him and sat up on my knees. He turned his body towards me, a curious look on his face.

"I want to do something without having to feel guilty about it," I said softly. "Just for one night."

Slowly, almost hesitant, he nodded.

My hands were shaking a little from the nerves so I placed them on his chest. Dimitri didn't move; he just looked at me and waited. _Oh God, I'm touching him. I'm really touching him._

I leaned in and, closing my eyes, I brushed my lips against his. I pulled back slightly to look at him, biting my lip nervously, my heart hammering in my chest. He stared at me in wonderment. I leaned back in and, this time without hesitation, kissed him again.

Slowly, Dimitri raised his hands and rested them on my waist as he kissed me back with fervor. His tongue traced my lower lip and I opened my mouth, granting him entrance. His tongue caressed mine and I let out a soft moan. I wrapped my arms around his neck as we continued to kiss. I never wanted this kiss to stop; I hadn't felt this good in such a long time.

We pulled away from each other at the same time, both of us breathless. Dimitri smiled at me and I felt myself smiling back. His hands were still on my waist.

"This reminds me of something that happened a long time ago," he said softly, a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Yeah, me too," I said, blushing now.

We were both quiet for a long time as we continued to stare at each other. At last, Dimitri glanced away and lowered his hands from my waist.

"So what now?" he asked softly, a wary look on his face.

"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I'm still so confused about everything and…" I sighed, frustrated with myself. "I don't know." His face fell and I added hastily, "But I do know that I don't want to go home yet. I would like to stay and figure it out. If that's okay with you."

"Of course you can stay," he said sincerely. "You can stay as long as you want, Roza."

I smiled at him gratefully. "Thank you."

I stretched out next to him on the couch. Dimitri glanced over at me and, hesitantly, he reached for my hand again. When I didn't pull away he laced our fingers together.

"Are you tired yet?"

I shook my head. I was wide awake.

"Want to watch a movie?" he asked.

I smiled. "Sure. I'd love to."

"You've watched Westerns with me for years so it's only fair if I let you choose tonight," Dimitri said, amused.

"I think we should uphold the tradition," I said, my smile broadening. "Besides, I still haven't watched Revenge. I think you owe it to me to watch that one with me," I added teasingly.

He chuckled. "If you're sure."

I leaned my head against his shoulder and sighed in contentment. "Yes. I'm sure."

* * *

 _They finally kissed! Yay! I hope you liked it. The next chapter will contain flashbacks of what happened between Rose and Dimitri...and something else you've been dying to find out ;)_

 _Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a great week! :)_


	17. Chapter 17

_Thank you very much for the reviews! This chapter contains only flashbacks and yes, they're the ones you've all been waiting for! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 17**

 **RPOV – APRIL 16, 2014**

I couldn't sleep. Adrian was snoring loudly next to me and the sound was keeping me awake. I sat up in bed and rubbed my face. Glancing at the clock, I saw that it was already past midnight. Sighing, I stood up and quietly moved to the door.

To my surprise, Dimitri was still up and watching TV. He looked up when I shuffled out of Adrian's bedroom.

"Did I wake you up?" he asked and he immediately muted the TV.

"No, no," I said reassuringly. "It's Adrian that's keeping me awake." Dimitri gave me a strange look. "Oh, not like that!" I added, embarrassed. "No. He's just snoring, that's all."

"Oh," he said. He smiled, amused. "That sucks."

I sat down next to him on the couch. "Yeah. So why are you still up?"

He shrugged. "I can't sleep."

"Why's that?"

He shrugged again. "I don't know."

"You don't know or you don't want to tell me?" I inquired, raising an eyebrow at him.

Dimitri rolled his eyes at me, but smiled reluctantly. "It's nothing."

"You can tell me, comrade," I insisted.

He was silent for a few moments, then blurted out, "I broke up with Tasha."

That was a surprise. A pleasant surprise.

I tried my best not to smile. "Why?"

"Because I don't feel the same way about her as she does about me," Dimitri explained.

 _Thank God!_ I'd never understood why he'd started dating Tasha in the first place so I was relieved to hear that he'd broken things off with her. I was amazed that he'd stayed with her for so long. I couldn't stand to be around Tasha for more than an hour, let alone for several months.

I wanted to tell him that it had been the right thing to do, but I had a feeling that he didn't want to hear that so instead I said, "I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay," he said, giving me a small smile. "I thought I'd give it a shot, but I was never really into her because…"

He fell silent.

"Because?" I pressed, curious.

He was quiet for a long time. I thought he wasn't going to answer me, but then his eyes met mine. "Because I'm in love with someone else," he answered, his voice unwavering.

His confession reminded me of a conversation we'd had ages ago, when he'd told me he was into a girl he couldn't have. Back then, it had never crossed my mind that he was talking about me, but right now… that intense stare he was giving me...it made me realize the truth. He _was_ talking about me. _You're crazy, Rose! You're absolutely crazy._

But Dimitri was still gazing at me, his face open, a longing look in his eyes. No. _No._ This was insane. Impossible. But a part of me, a part I wished that didn't exist, wanted it to be me. My heart hammered in my chest as I stared back at him. I opened my mouth several times to speak, but I was unable to.

Finally, Dimitri looked away and muttered, "But I can't have her."

I swallowed past the lump in my throat. "W-why's that?"

"Because she has a boyfriend," he answered, not looking at me. "And her boyfriend is my friend and I don't want to betray him." He paused for a moment. "If I hadn't been so stupid, I might have been with her now," he continued quietly. "When I first saw her, I thought she was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen. I didn't really know what to do. I _wanted_ to talk to her and I was working up the courage to do so, but my friend beat me at it."

 _Oh God._ He really was talking about me.

"I didn't even really try to stop him. Maybe I should have because I keep replaying that moment over and over in my head, wishing I could turn back time and change it."

I felt like crying. "Dimitri…"

Dimitri glanced up at me, a pained expression on his face now. "I'm sorry. I thought you knew."

I didn't. I'd had no idea he felt that way about me. I wished I'd known this when I'd first met him…officially, I mean. Maybe things would have been different, then.

"I wish it wasn't true, but it is," Dimitri whispered. "And I've tried to get over you – I really did try – but I can't stop thinking about you, Roza. I can't-"

Without thinking this through, I leaned in and closed the distance between us as I pressed my lips to his. The moment my lips connected with his my heart exploded. The feeling was overwhelming and…amazing. I couldn't believe I was actually kissing Dimitri.

When I pulled away from him, he looked at me in shock. I was shocked, too, as I realized that I'd just kissed my boyfriend's best friend. Worst of all, I wanted to do it again.

"Roza," Dimitri whispered, stunned.

Before I could stop myself, I put my hands on either side of his face and kissed him again. Dimitri didn't try to stop me, for which I was grateful. He returned my kiss passionately. One of his arms wrapped around my waist and he pulled me closer while his free hand tangled in my hair. When he deepened the kiss, a moan escaped my lips.

I don't know how long we sat there, entangled in each other. All I knew was that I was completely lost in his kiss, lost in him. The only place I wanted – _needed_ – to be was here, in his arms.

"Roza," Dimitri whispered as he kissed down my jaw line. "Roza…"

Suddenly, I remembered where I was and what I was doing. As if waking up from a dream, my eyes snapped open and I abruptly pulled away from him. I stumbled to my feet and took several steps away from him. He looked at me, eyes wide.

"I…" I was breathless and unable to form a sentence. Oh God, what had I done?! "I should go…now," I stammered.

Hastily, I turned around and hurried back to Adrian's room, leaving a shocked Dimitri on the couch. When I'd closed the door behind me, I leaned against it and took a deep breath. Shit, shit, shit. I just cheated on Adrian.

I glanced at him; he was still fast asleep in bed and had no idea what had just happened between me and his best friend. I stared at his sleeping form as guilt washed over me.

A few moments later, I heard Dimitri's bedroom door close. Should I go over and apologize for what happened? No, I couldn't. I wasn't sure I could stop myself from kissing him again.

"Fuck," I muttered, angry with myself.

At long last, I crawled back into bed. I couldn't sleep, though. I kept playing what happened between Dimitri and me just now over and over in my head. Distractedly, I brought my fingers up to my mouth; I could still feel his kiss on my lips.

 _What have you done, Rose?_

 **DPOV – APRIL 24, 2014**

Rose had been avoiding me ever since we kissed. _Oh, that kiss…_ A part of me felt guilty for kissing my best friend's girlfriend, but another part of me wanted to kiss her again and again and…again.

I'd never expected she would kiss me when I'd told her about my feelings. I hadn't planned to tell her; I just did when she asked me about Tasha. I hadn't wanted to lie to her – and myself – any longer. And then she'd kissed me. And it had been the best thing that had ever happened to me.

And now she wouldn't talk to me.

She'd been avoiding me all week. Whenever I tried to talk to her, she would leave the room. I hadn't had many chances to see her anyway because Adrian was around most of the time and I obviously couldn't talk to her when he was present. I knew she hadn't told him about the kiss. If she had, I would have heard it from Adrian by now. Adrian wasn't one to start a fight, but if he knew I'd kissed his girlfriend he surely would have tried to start a fight with me. But so far, he was oblivious to what had happened between Rose and me and I was not sure how I felt about that. Adrian deserved to know the truth, but the truth might ruin our friendship. I didn't want that to happen, but I guess I should have thought about that before I kissed Rose.

The one question that bugged me the most was, _Why had Rose kissed me?_ Did she feel the same way about me? Then why was she with Adrian?

I wished she would talk to me. I wished she would tell me if that kiss had meant something. But what if it did? What would happen then? Would she leave Adrian for me? What would happen to my friendship with Adrian? I knew that, no matter what happened, I would lose either way. If Rose broke up with Adrian, I would lose my best friend. If Rose decided to stay with Adrian, I would lose her. I didn't know which was worst. All I knew was that I couldn't win.

But I had a feeling that, since Rose wouldn't talk to me, it would be her I'd lose. I really needed to talk to her, figure out what she was going to do, because I wasn't sure how much longer I could take this.

Knowing I couldn't possibly talk to her at the apartment, I went to the high school she was teaching at. I knew she had a lunch break in ten minutes so I waited outside. When I finally saw her walking across the parking lot to her car, I started running towards her and called out her name.

Startled, she looked up and her eyes widened when she saw me. She hurried over to her car so I quickened my pace. I reached her just when she was about to open the car door.

"Rose, please," I pleaded. "I need to talk to you."

"I can't right now," she mumbled, not looking at me.

"Please, Roza," I begged, stepping in front of her.

Her head snapped up at me. "Don't call me Roza."

"I'm sorry," I said hastily. "Can we just…talk? Please?"

She looked around the parking lot before looking back at me. She nodded. Barely. "Okay. Let's go sit in the car."

I'd wanted to talk to her for so long, but now that I finally had that chance, I didn't know what to say. The tension in the car grew as both of us stared at each other silently.

At last, Rose looked away and said in a quiet voice, "Why are you here, Dimitri? You can't just come to my work and-"

"I'm sorry," I said, "but I had to come. You've been avoiding me all week and I really need to talk to you."

"I don't want to talk to you," Rose snapped. I was taken aback by her tone of voice. A look of regret crossed her face and she murmured, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." She let out a sigh and buried her face in her hands. "I'm sorry."

"Rose, I meant what I said last week," I told her. "I just want to know if you feel the same way."

There were tears in her eyes. "I… I don't know. I mean, I can't – I can't love you," she stammered, flustered. "I'm with Adrian."

"Do you love him?" I asked.

My heart hammered in my chest as I waited for her response. This was it; this was the moment of truth.

"I…" She hesitated. "Yes."

"Roza," I said urgently, grasping her hand in mine. "I know you feel something for me. I know you do."

I didn't know why I was trying to ruin Rose's relationship with Adrian. I should just leave and let them be together, but here I was, trying to convince Rose she should be with me. I was terrible. So, so terrible.

Rose shook her head at me. "No, don't, Dimitri. Please don't make this harder than it already is. I can't… I can't do this to Adrian. I – I love him. I do."

"But Roza… You kissed me and-"

"It was a moment of weakness, Dimitri!" she interrupted, furiously wiping at her eyes. A look of determination crossed her face. "That's all it was. And it won't ever happen again."

I stared at her as I let her words sink in. It felt like she'd ripped my heart out and smashed it onto the ground.

When she saw the look on my face, she added softly, "Look, you're my friend, Dimitri, and I really care about you. I do. But I… I can't be with you. I'm with Adrian."

I nodded and looked away, trying to hide the pain I was feeling right now.

"Are you going to tell him?" she asked quietly after a few moments.

"I'm guessing you don't want me to," I muttered, still not looking at her.

She sighed. "I'd rather you didn't tell him because it would devastate him if he knew the truth." That was true. Adrian would be devastated. And it would be all my fault. "But," she continued hesitantly, "I won't stop you if you want to tell him. I mean, he's your best friend…"

And because he was my best friend, I knew I should tell him what happened. But I couldn't. Not when there was so much at stake.

"I won't tell him," I said at last, feeling even more guilty than I already did. I didn't want to lie to my best friend, but what choice did I have? I didn't want to lose my best friend and ruin his relationship with Rose at the same time.

Rose looked relieved. "Thank you."

I didn't respond. I couldn't believe she was choosing him. I'd honestly thought she had feelings for me, too. I guess it had been just wishful thinking.

"I should go," I muttered as I started to get out of the car.

"Dimitri, I-"

"Goodbye."

Slamming the door shut, I strode away without looking back at her. I was furious, at her, at our situation, but most of all at myself. I should have never told her about my feelings for her, then nothing would have happened. I was the worst best friend ever.

Lost in thoughts of guilt and self-loathing, I returned to the apartment and was met with a surprise. Shocked, I stopped abruptly in the doorway when I saw Adrian kissing a blond-haired girl I didn't recognize. She was sitting on the countertop and her legs were wrapped around his waist as they made out. Oh, and did I mention they were both half-naked?

Neither of them heard me come in. I could easily leave and pretend I hadn't seen anything, but I was too angry, too shocked, to move.

At last, I cleared my throat. Startled, they immediately pulled away from each other. The girl screamed, scooped up her bra from the floor and hid behind Adrian. Adrian glanced over at me, a surprised look on his face. As soon as he saw me, his face reddened.

"Dimitri," he started. "I didn't know you'd be back so soon…."

"What the hell, Adrian?" I exclaimed angrily.

"Daisy, I think it's better if you leave," Adrian muttered, pushing her away.

Daisy looked outraged. "Excuse me?" She eyed me, her hands on her hips. "Why should _I_ leave? He's the one intruding."

Adrian didn't respond, his face burning with shame.

"What's going on?" the girl demanded.

"Adrian has a girlfriend, Daisy," I told her, my voice cool and collected. "That's what's going on."

Her eyes widened in disbelief and she gasped. She whirled around towards Adrian and slapped him across the face.

"Adrian! You told me you were single!" she cried out before storming off towards Adrian's bedroom. "Ugh! I cannot believe this!"

Rubbing his cheek, Adrian looked up at me and muttered, "Thanks for that, Dimitri."

I glared at him. "You deserved that."

And so much more. How could he cheat on Rose? How could he do that to her? _Well, technically Rose cheated on Adrian as well. With me…_

But that was just a kiss - or a few. I didn't count. But Adrian was making out with a strange girl, both of them half-naked. And from the ashamed look on Adrian's face, I was pretty sure that wasn't all they'd done.

The girl rushed out of Adrian's bedroom, fully dressed now, and strode to the door. "Don't think about calling me, you jerk!"

Adrian flinched when the door slammed shut. "Women," he said, rolling his eyes.

I arched an eyebrow at him. "Are you serious right now?"

A flash of guilt crossed his face. He walked over to the couch and grabbed his pants, pulling them on quickly. "Dimitri-"

I didn't let him speak. "How could you do this to Rose?" I shouted. "Why would you cheat on her?"

Again, I had no right to judge. Just a week ago, I'd been kissing his girlfriend. But I couldn't help myself. I was so angry. Adrian was with this amazing girl and he was willing to screw that up for a girl he'd probably just met?

"I'm sorry, it just happened!" he exclaimed, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"It just happened?" I repeated. My hands were curled into fists at my side as I gave Adrian an incredulous stare. "It just happened?!"

He didn't respond.

"Did you have sex with her?"

Adrian looked away. "Do you really want me to answer that question?"

I gritted my teeth. Shaking my head, I muttered, "How could you've been so stupid?" I glared at him. "And in the apartment? Seriously? Rose could have walked in here instead of me! What would you have done then?"

The guilty look returned to his face and he swallowed heavily.

"Please tell me that this isn't happening on a regular basis," I said, exasperated.

If possible, he looked even more guilty. I don't think I'd ever been so disappointed in Adrian. But did I even have a right to feel that way? I kissed his girlfriend after all.

"Why?" I asked. "I thought you loved Rose."

"I do love Rose, but I…" He ran a hand through his tousled hair, sighing in frustration. "I guess I can't help it. It's… It's who I am," he finished with a shrug.

"That's a stupid excuse," I snapped at him.

He hung his head in shame. "Please don't tell Rose," he pleaded.

I clenched my jaw. Was he serious right now? "You want me to lie to her?" I exclaimed in outrage. "She deserves to know the truth!"

I was such a hypocrite and I hated myself for it. But in my defense, this was much worse than what Rose and I had done. _Keep telling yourself that, Dimitri. Maybe you'll start believing it, too._

Adrian looked up at me, scowling. "Why are you so angry? I'm your best friend and I'm asking you a favor. Why are you making such a big deal about this?" he said loudly.

"You cheated on Rose!" I yelled.

"And I'm asking you, why are you so worked up about it?" he shot back. "What's it to you?"

That shut me up. Did I just give myself away? Was I too upset about this shocking information? Taking a deep breath, I tried to calm myself down.

"Yeah, that's what I thought," Adrian muttered, glaring at me. Shaking his head at me, he continued, "I knew it! I knew you like her."

 _Fuck_. "Adrian, I-"

"Don't try to deny it," Adrian said, pointing his finger at me. "You like her! Don't think I don't see the way you look at her when she walks into the room. I thought it was over when you started dating Tasha, but I guess I was wrong. You still have a thing for her."

Well, there was no point in me trying to deny it anymore. "Fine, it's true," I said at last. "I do like Rose. I have always liked her." I thought it would be childish to tell him that I'd seen her first so I refrained myself. Instead, I said, "And I think she deserves a lot better than you because you don't see how amazing she is. Otherwise you wouldn't cheat on her."

Adrian stared at me for a long time. At first his expression was angry, then rueful. "You know what," he said a few moments later, looking away. "Maybe you're right. Maybe she does deserve better than me." He sighed and glanced back at me. "Maybe you are what she deserves."

I was speechless. What the hell was he trying to say now?

"I'm only going to hurt her," Adrian continued. "You wouldn't. So yeah, maybe you should be with her."

How ironic. Hours ago, I was trying to convince Rose to choose me over Adrian and now Adrian was saying that she should be with me.

"Adrian…" I said slowly, shaking my head. I didn't really know what to say to that.

"But I love her," Adrian said firmly. "I love Rose. Despite what you might think of me right now, I do love Rose. And I want to be someone that she deserves so that's why I'm asking you not to tell Rose about this." He looked at me pleadingly. "Please, Dimitri. You're my best friend. Please do this for me."

"Are you going to tell her?" I asked. "About the girls you've been sleeping with."

"I don't want to hurt her, Dimitri," he said, "and you know as well as I do that I would lose her if I told her."

"So you're going to keep lying to her face?" I asked, clenching my jaw.

He looked down. "Those girls were a mistake. It won't happen again." He looked back up. "I promise. But you have to promise me that you won't try to steal her away from me."

 _I'm afraid I already tried that._ But he didn't have to worry anymore; I'd told her the truth and she'd said she didn't return my feelings so there was nothing else I could do. All I could do was move on. At last.

"Of course not," I told him.

"Promise me you'll get over her."

I swallowed heavily as Adrian stared at me, an expectant look on his face as he waited for my response. "I'll get over her," I said at last, resigned. "I promise."

He smiled, relieved. "Good."

"But don't cheat on Rose again," I warned. "Ever."

"I won't," he vowed. "I'll do better from now on."

Without another word, I marched to my room and slammed the door shut. I'd confessed my love for Rose and in return I got my heart broken, only to come home to find her boyfriend – my best friend – cheating on her. And now I was supposed to keep quiet and pretend nothing had happened while there was so much that had happened. This really had to be the worst day of my life.

* * *

 _So a lot happened in this chapter. I know you probably all expted that Rose and Dimitri had sex, but I thought that would be a little bit too much with Adrian in the next room. Even though Rose cheated on Adrian in Last Sacrafice, I don't think either of them would go that far when Adrian is so closeby. So yeah...that's why I stopped it there.  
_

 _Please let me know your thoughts on this chapter. Thank you. Have a nice week! :)_


	18. Chapter 18

_Thank you very much for the reviews. Here's the new chapter. I know it's a little short, but I've been really busy with my new internship and my assignments from school._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 18**

 **RPOV – APRIL 28, 2014**

"What's wrong with you?"

Startled, I looked up at Lissa as she walked out of her room. She sat down next to me at the kitchen table and looked at me expectantly.

"Nothing," I mumbled, looking away.

"Don't even try to wiggle your way out of this one," Lissa said. "I know something's up. You've been acting so strange the past few days."

"Oh, have I?" I responded, acting casual.

Lissa raised her eyebrow at me. "Yes. Now tell me what's eating you."

I sighed, unsure if I should tell her the truth. I thought I'd been doing a good job at hiding my secret from her, but apparently I was wrong. Maybe she was right. Maybe I should tell her. Maybe she had a solution or at least some advice because I had no idea what to do.

"Do you think it's possible to love two people at the same time?" I asked quietly.

Lissa was silent for a long time. "Is this about Dimitri?" she asked at last.

Slowly, I nodded. I wasn't sure if I should tell her about the kiss, but I could tell her about the rest…

"I thought your relationship with Adrian was going well," Lissa said frowning.

"Yeah, it's going great, but I…" I shrugged. "I don't know."

"You told me you didn't have any feelings for Dimitri anymore," she said, glaring at me now. "Was that a lie?"

"No! Yes. Maybe…" I sighed in frustration. "I guess I have feelings for him again…still… I don't know."

"Since when?"

"I don't know exactly when, but it was around the time when Dimitri started dating Tasha," I mumbled, not daring to look at Lissa.

She gasped and looked at me accusingly. "I knew it!"

I groaned and buried my face in my hands. "Don't give me that look!"

"Alright, I'll try not to judge," she said, a hint of a smile on her face. "Go on."

I sighed deeply. "Maybe…maybe my feelings never went away completely. Maybe I need to try harder." Shaking my head, I looked up at her. "This is ridiculous. I can't love Dimitri… I mean, I don't… Because I love Adrian." I sounded desperate. "I do love Adrian, but things are so complicated with him. And when I'm with Dimitri, it's so… It's so easy. He really gets me and when I'm around him I'm happy and-" I shook my head as tears rolled down my cheeks. "I'm so confused and I don't know what to do."

"What do you want?" Lissa asked softly. "What do _you_ want?"

I buried my face in my hands again. "I don't know," I said honestly. Apparently, I didn't know much. I shook my head again and lifted my face to look at her. "I guess… I want things to work out with Adrian. I've been with him for so long and I know he loves me. Things with him are…well, it's familiar, and he's been really good to me the past few months."

"What about Dimitri, then?" Lissa asked. "What are you going to do about him?"

I was still hesitating if I should tell her about the kiss. I decided against it; I was too ashamed to tell her. I was the one who initiated the kiss, which made it ten times worse.

"Even if things don't work out with Adrian, I could never go out with him," I told her. "They are best friends and I would only tear them apart. I don't want that. I don't want to destroy their friendship."

But Dimitri had said he loved me. How could I possibly forget that?

 _You have to_ , I told myself. _Or it'll ruin everything. For Dimitri, for Adrian and for me._

Well, I guess the decision was made, then.

 **RPOV – JULY 20, 2015**

When I woke up, it was still dark. For a moment, I was confused as to where I was. Looking around, I noticed I'd fallen asleep on the couch…next to Dimitri. My heart skipped a beat as I gazed at him. He was still fast asleep and one of his arms was wrapped around my waist.

I couldn't remember falling asleep with him on the couch, but it was a pleasant surprise. Smiling, I lay back down next to him on the couch and snuggled closer to him. As I did, he mumbled something in his sleep that sounded a lot like 'Roza' and his arm tightened around me.

I bit my lip to keep from smiling and lay very still next to him, not wanting to wake him up and break this spell. I told myself I would feel guilty about it in the morning, but right now I would enjoy Dimitri's closeness.

I fell back asleep with the smile still on my face and when I woke up again daylight shone through the windows. I blinked a couple of times, trying to block out the sunlight, and turned my head to see if Dimitri was still lying next to me.

He was. And he was still sleeping.

I admired him while he continued to sleep. He was the most handsome man I'd ever seen. Asleep, he looked so peaceful, so at ease. I wanted to run my fingers through his hair, but was scared he would wake up if I touched him.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed over me. Turning my head, I looked up at Lissa. She stood over me, hands on her hips and her eyebrows raised.

"Hi," I said softly.

"Hi," was her reply. She waved her hands at Dimitri and me. "What's this?"

I gulped. "Umm… I fell asleep here last night."

"I can see that," Lissa said dryly. "But why's Dimitri here as well?"

"I guess he fell asleep, too," I answered with a shrug.

"Don't be a smartass, Rose," Lissa said. She rolled her eyes at me, but smiled reluctantly. "I have a feeling we need to have a talk," she added, her gaze falling on Dimitri again.

"No, we don't-"

I cut myself off when Dimitri stirred beside me. Slowly, his eyes opened and he looked at me with a broad smile on his face. I smiled back, albeit a little embarrassed because Lissa was here.

"Good morning, Roza," he said. Suddenly, his gaze shifted from me to Lissa and his eyes widened. Now that he'd finally noticed her, he pulled his arm away from my waist and sat up immediately. I sat up as well and put an appropriate distance between Dimitri and me.

"Lissa, good morning," he said, surprised and embarrassed.

"Good morning, Dimitri," Lissa said, smiling sweetly. "I assume you had a good night's sleep?"

Dimitri glanced at me for guidance and I shrugged.

Thankfully, Lissa continued, "Well, all I wanted to say is that we'll be leaving in a couple of hours, Rose, so you should probably start packing your suitcase."

"Yeah, about that…" I started slowly, glancing at Dimitri from the corner of my eye. "Can we talk?"

"Now?" she asked.

I glanced at Dimitri again, then at her, hoping she would catch my drift. "No. Not now."

"Fine," she answered. "Come find me when you're ready to talk."

She walked away, leaving Dimitri and me alone. An awkward silence filled up the room.

"So…" I said, clearing my throat.

"So…" he said, looking at me, waiting for me to continue.

"Is it still okay with you if I stay here longer?" I asked.

He smiled warmly. "Of course, Roza."

I felt myself smile back. "Thanks." I started to get up. He did the same. "Well, I should get ready and, um, talk to Lissa."

"Okay," he said, still staring at me.

"Okay," I repeated, still smiling. I started retreating. "I'll, um, see you later, then."

Turning around, I headed to my room. When I got there, Lissa was sitting on my bed. She gave me an expectant look when I entered.

"Close the door. You have a lot to explain," she ordered.

 _Okay._ I did what she told me and approached her carefully. "I thought I'd said I'd come find you-"

"I couldn't wait that long," she interrupted me. "So what's going on with you and Dimitri? Did I miss something or what?"

"There's nothing going on," I started.

Lissa snorted. "Oh, please," she said, rolling her eyes. "You were cuddling with him on the couch! Besides, I see the way he looks at you. And you like it. So spill the beans, what's going on?"

I sat down on the bed and crossed my legs. She turned and crossed her legs as well, waiting for me to explain myself.

"I don't know what's going on," I said honestly. "Seeing him again… It brought back so many memories and I…" I shrugged helplessly. "I was so angry with him when he left, but I had no right be angry because it was my fault that he left. And I'm just… I'm just so happy to have him in my life again. But at the same time I feel guilty for being happy. I feel like I'm betraying Adrian all over again."

Lissa looked at me sympathetically. "Adrian's gone, Rose. And at some point you've got to move on. So why not with Dimitri?" she added with a shrug.

"I don't know if I can do that," I said quietly. "Ever."

"Well, it's too soon now," Lissa aqcuised. "I mean, you're still grieving Adrian, but eventually…maybe… You've always liked him, Rose. Now's your chance."

"I don't want to betray Adrian," I muttered. "Dimitri was his best friend."

"I think Adrian would have wanted you to be happy," Lissa answered, "and I think he'd rather see you happy with Dimitri than some random guy-"

"I cheated on Adrian with Dimitri," I blurted out.

Lissa gasped. "You did what?"

I looked at her, ashamed. "It happened last year. H-he told me he loved me and I – I kissed him, Lissa," I said, biting my lip. " _I_ kissed _him_."

Lissa was still gaping at me. "Why didn't you tell me?!"

"I felt ashamed about it," I muttered. "And I guess it was easier to pretend that it never happened if you didn't know. I'm sorry."

"So that was the reason why Dimitri left?" Lissa asked, her eyes wide. "It wasn't because he had an argument with Adrian?"

"They did have a fight, but I don't think that was the only reason he left," I admitted. "I think it was because of me as well. I really hurt him."

"Is that why you feel so guilty for even considering being with Dimitri?" Lissa asked. "Because you cheated on Adrian with him?"

I nodded. "It would be unfair to him."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, it was just a kiss," Lissa said after a pause. "You didn't have sex with Dimitri. Adrian, however, did have sex with another girl," she said scowling. She was quiet for a moment, thoughtful, then eyed me hesitantly. "You didn't have sex with Dimitri, right?"

"No, of course not!" I said, a little offended.

Lissa held up her hands in defense "I just wanted to make sure!"

I sighed. "I know I should go home with you, but I don't want to. Yet."

"Then don't," Lissa said. "Stay. Figure out if what you're feeling for Dimitri is real. And try not to feel guilty too much. I mean, Adrian surely didn't feel guilty about cheating on you," she added with a frown.

I glanced up at her. "You don't know that. Maybe he did feel guilty."

"Even if he did, it didn't stop him from doing it anyway," she snorted.

"Well, like I said before, I have no right to be upset about it," I mumbled. "I cheated on him as well. With his best friend. I guess that officially makes me the worst girlfriend."

"You didn't go all the way, Rose. It was just a kiss. You stopped," Lissa said firmly. "So don't feel guilty."

I was quiet as I mulled everything over. When I didn't speak, Lissa continued carefully, "You know, I never understood why you got engaged to Adrian. I know you loved him, but if I'm being honest, I never thought it would last." She looked at me apologetically. "Because there was always a part of you that was aching for Dimitri. And when he left… You were miserable for a long time."

"You never told me that," I said, not sure how to feel about her confession. "Why?"

She shrugged. "Because I wanted to support you. I wanted to support your decision. That's what best friends do."

There was a knock on the door, then it opened slightly and Christian peered inside. "Hey, you almost ready in here? You both still need to pack and our plane leaves in a few hours."

"I'll be right there," Lissa said, giving him a smile. "But Rose won't join us. She's staying here."

Christian gave me a surprised look and I blushed. Shit. How was I going to explain this to my friends? They wouldn't understand the way Lissa did.

"She's in desperate need of more vacation," Lissa continued. "And unlike us, she doesn't have to go back to work so there's no rush for her to go home."

Christian shrugged. "Alright."

"Thanks for the save, Liss," I said when he'd left.

"Are you going to keep me up to date?" Lissa asked. "You know, about you and Dimitri."

"I will, but I'm going to take things slow," I told her, "so I'm not sure if much will happen."

"That's fine. It's good to take things slow," Lissa said, "because I know that, despite your feelings for Dimitri, you did love Adrian. So it's a good idea not to rush anything."

I nodded. _Okay, Rose. Take things slow and we'll see where we'll get._

"Alright?" Lissa asked.

I nodded again and smiled. "Yes. I'm all good."

Lissa smiled radiantly and embraced me. "Good luck."

I hugged her tightly. "Have a safe trip."

Lissa pulled away after a few moments and started for the door. "Don't worry too much, Rose," she told me before leaving my room. "Allow yourself to be happy again."

* * *

 _I hope you liked the chapter. Have a nice weekend! :)_


	19. Chapter 19

_Thank you for all the reviews, favorites and follows. Here's a new chapter with a lot of flashbacks. Hope you like it! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 19**

 **RPOV – MAY 8, 2014**

"Adrian, I'm back! Where would you like to-"

I stopped abruptly when I saw that the person standing in front of me was not Adrian, but Tasha. I blinked a couple of times, confused as hell. Was this some kind of nightmare? What was she doing here, standing in Adrian's living room?

"Hi, Rose," Tasha said sweetly, giving me her fake smile. I suppressed the urge to scrunch up my nose. "It's so nice to see you again."

From the tone of her voice, it was obvious that it wasn't nice _at all_ to see me again. I couldn't say I felt any different about seeing _her_ again.

"What are you doing here?" I demanded.

"I'm here to see Dimitri," she said, scowling at me. Then she brightend all of a sudden. "Hasn't he told you yet? We're back together."

I think my heart stopped for a second. He got back together with Tasha? When?!

"Oh yes, it's true," she said, grinning now. "It happened last week. We ran into each other at-"

"I don't need to know the details," I snapped. Taking a deep, calming breath, I asked, "So, where is he? Dimitri?"

"In the shower," she answered, that grin still on her face. "We're going out tonight. What do you think of my dress?" she asked.

I looked her up and down. She was wearing an aqua-colored dress with fringes. It was way too short and hideous. It was also very revealing.

I was sure she didn't really want to know my opinion, but I told her anyway, "It's rather revealing, don't you think?"

I thought she'd scowl again, but instead she smiled. "I know! I hope Dimitri likes it."

This time, I did scrunch up my nose. "I don't think so."

 _Ah, there it is again. The scowl._ It almost made me smile.

"Well, you don't know him as well as I do," she snarled.

I snorted. "Okay."

If possible, she scowled even more. She started to say something and I could tell it wouldn't have been anything kind, but Dimitri suddenly walked out of the bathroom and she fell silent immediately. She turned away from me and walked up to him, that fake smile on her face again.

"Rose told me she liked my dress," she said to him as she wrapped her arms around his waist.

Dimitri hadn't noticed me yet, but as soon as Tasha mentioned me, he looked up in surprise. I tried very hard not to grimace.

"Hey Rose," Dimitri said politely.

He'd been very distant lately, which sucked, but after everything that had happened I could understand why. I was starting to think, though, that Tasha might be one of the reasons why he was avoiding me. _Don't be silly, Rose. You broke his heart. Of course he doesn't want to see you anymore._

I had to say he'd recovered rather quickly from his broken heart. Only a few weeks ago he'd told me he loved me and now he was dating that monster again? I had to admit that hurt.

I knew very well that I didn't have the right to feel hurt. I'd kissed him right after he'd confessed his feelings for me, and then I turned him down. He was the only person in this room who had the right to feel hurt. But he seemed perfectly fine. As if nothing had happened.

Then why didn't I feel fine?

I didn't realize I was scowling at them until Tasha said sweetly, "Something the matter, Rose?"

I cleared my throat and looked away. "No, I was just wondering where Adrian is." Carefully, I glanced at Dimitri. "Do you know?"

"He went out to buy some cigarettes," Dimitri replied. "He should be back soon."

I nodded. "Okay, thanks."

Dimitri looked at Tasha and took her hand in his. "We should go if we don't want to miss our reservation."

"Have fun," I forced out as they walked past me.

Dimitri didn't turn around to look at me as he mumbled his thanks. He couldn't get out fast enough. What did that mean? Was he so uncomfortable around me after what happened between us? Or did he still have feelings for me and wanted to hide that from me? Then why was he dating Tasha?

It shouldn't matter to me. I had Adrian. I _chose_ Adrian. So why was I worrying about this? I was happy with my decision and I should let Dimitri move on, even if that meant I wouldn't see him anymore. Even if that meant I couldn't be his friend any longer.

I still wanted to be his friend, but I had a feeling he wouldn't want the same thing. Not after what I'd said and done. Maybe this was for the best anyway. It would be easier for everyone involved if Dimitri and I didn't see each other anymore. As much as the thought alone hurt, I knew in my heart that it was better this way.

Dimitri was moving on – with Tasha. I should do the same. I should move on as well and finally let myself be happy with Adrian. Despite his faults, he was a good man and he loved me very much. So why ruin that now? Besides, he wasn't the only one with flaws. I had flaws, too. Obviously.

I jumped up when the front door suddenly opened. Adrian stepped inside, a surprised look on his face. "Rose, why are you standing there like that?"

"Uh, I guess I was lost in thought for a moment," I stammered, a little bit flustered.

"Sorry for the hold-up. I was out to buy cigarettes," Adrian explained.

"Yeah, Dimitri told me."

"Oh? He was still here?" Adrian said, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, he just left with Tasha," I muttered. "Didn't you see him on the way up?"

Adrian shook his head.

"You didn't tell me Dimitri got back together with Tasha," I said, an almost accusing tone in my voice. I bit the inside of my cheek. _Don't let him show that you care._

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" Adrian said casually. "It happened last week, I think." He grinned. "Isn't that wonderful?"

I forced a smile onto my face. "Yes. Wonderful."

"You ready to go?" Adrian asked. "You don't want to be late for What's-his-name's birthday party, right?"

"His name is Mason," I said, rolling my eyes.

Mason was a colleague of mine. Adrian had never met him, but I'd mentioned the birthday party and that I was invited. Adrian hadn't liked the idea of me going alone to some guy's birthday party, which I thought was ridiculous because Mason was just a colleague. But to please Adrian, I'd asked Mason if I could bring a plus one.

"Whatever," Adrian muttered quietly, thinking I wouldn't hear him.

I suppressed a sigh. I knew Adrian didn't want to go, but he didn't want me to go alone either. It bothered me that he thought that Mason was a threat, that he thought something might happen between us. I wanted to tell him off for thinking I would cheat on him with Mason, but wouldn't that make me a hypocrite? Because I _did_ cheat on him. Just not with Mason.

So I let Adrian come along to ease his mind, even though I knew he'd much rather be drinking with his buddies right now. Honestly, I wasn't really in the mood to go to the party either after seeing Tasha, but I couldn't cancel on my friend now.

Grabbing my purse from the counter, I started for the door. "Okay. Let's go."

 **DPOV – MAY 10, 2014**

I was reading when Adrian's bedroom door opened and Rose walked out, buttoning up her blouse. She gasped when she saw me and her cheeks turned red.

"Oh, Dimitri," she said, flustered. "I didn't know you were here."

I was pretty sure my face was just as red as hers. Quickly, I looked away. Adrian followed her out of his room, only wearing his boxers. He had a huge grin plastered across his face so my guess was that he just got laid. I tried not to grimace at that thought.

Rose glanced at Adrian and kissed him on the cheek before hurrying to the door. "See you later!"

"I'll pick you up at eight," Adrian called after her.

"Okay," she called back before slamming the door shut behind her.

I breathed a sigh of relief and focused on my book again. It didn't last very long because when Adrian finished getting dressed, he sauntered into the living room, that satisfied grin still on his face.

"So, where's Tasha?" Adrian asked. "I figured you'd be with her now that you guys are back together."

Every time he saw me, he asked about Tasha. He probably wanted to make sure I was over Rose, but it annoyed me to no end.

"She's shopping with some friends," I responded, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice.

"Oh. How are things going?" he asked. "Everything okay?"

I clenched my jaw. "Everything's fine."

Adrian sounded chipper. "That's great! It's good you're finally moving on."

I didn't respond.

"You know, I've got some news," Adrian said after a few moments. When I didn't say anything, he continued, "I'm going to propose to Rose tonight."

My eyes widened in surprise. When I looked up at him, I tried not to show how shocked I was by that news. "Oh, really?" I said, trying to appear casual.

He started grinning again. "Yes. I bought the ring a few days ago."

My heart was racing. He'd already bought the ring? When was he going to propose to her? Would she say yes? I hoped not.

"You okay?" Adrian asked. I realized he was taunting me. "You look a little pale."

"I'm fine," I responded crisply.

"It's the right thing to do, isn't it?" Adrian continued casually. "I mean, we've been together for _so_ long…"

"You should want to marry her because you love her," I told him with forced calmness. "Not because it's the right thing to do."

"I love her. You know that," Adrian said, still in that casual manner. I clenched my jaw. "And I was thinking you should be my best man."

I had a hard time keeping my voice under control. "Really?"

"Yes. You're my best friend." He paused, scrutinizing my face. "Unless there's a reason you shouldn't be my best man," he said slowly. Another pause. "Is there any reason why I shouldn't ask you?"

I stared straight ahead of me, not wanting to look into Adrian's eyes. I knew he was inquiring about Rose. He wanted to know if I still had feelings for her and if it was going to stand in the way of his wedding.

"No," I said at last, my voice quiet.

"Alright. Will you be my best man?"

"Don't start making plans already. She hasn't even said yes yet."

Adrian scowled at me. I sighed and cursed myself silently for blurting that out. I didn't want him to think I was not over her. Of course I wasn't over her, but I was making progress. Rose and I weren't really talking, but maybe that was for the best if I really wanted to get over her. I'd also given Tasha another shot and this time I was going to give her a real chance.

"Sorry," I apologized. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up in case…"

"She won't say no!" Adrian interrupted, his voice sharp. It seemed like I'd finally hit a nerve. "She loves _me_."

"I know," I said calmly. Though I couldn't say it didn't hurt. "I know."

Adrian took a deep breath. "Good." The anger in his voice disappeared immediately and a smile spread across his face. I wanted to wipe it off his face. "So will you be my best man?"

The only way he was going to believe I didn't love Rose anymore was if I said yes. If I'd tell him no, he'd think I was still in love with Rose.

"Sure," I answered. I forced a smile onto my face. "Why not?"

Adrian's smile widened. "Great. Well, I should get ready if I want to make it to Rose on time. Catch you later."

"Yeah, good luck," I muttered.

I wished I meant it.

 **RPOV – MAY 10, 2014**

"Oh God, this place is so fancy," I groaned as I took in the restaurant.

Everyone was so well-dressed and clean cut. They were mostly businessmen. I wondered what the hell they were doing here on a Saturday night. Didn't they have wives to take out?

"You could have told me, Adrian. Then I would've put on something nicer."

"You look just fine, babe," Adrian told me, kissing my cheek. "That sundress suits you."

"Thanks," I muttered, smoothing down my dress, feeling more than a little uncomfortable between all these rich people.

I was distracted during dinner. Unfortunately, my mind was still on Dimitri and Tasha. I was still in shock that Dimitri was dating her again. I wanted to tell him how he was being an idiot by taking her back, but it wasn't any of my business. And after everything that had happened between us, I really had no right to tell him who he should or shouldn't date.

Why was this even bothering me? I shouldn't care. I chose Adrian. He was the right choice. So why was Dimitri still an issue?

 _You miss your friend. You miss spending time with him. That's why._

I rolled my eyes at the thought. _Suck it up, Rose. You ruined it so now deal with it._

"You want some dessert?"

"Hmm?" I said distractedly, looking up at Adrian.

"You want dessert?" he asked, looking over the menu.

"Oh, um, sure," I said, forcing a smile onto my face. I realized I hadn't been the best company tonight. I hoped Adrian hadn't noticed too much.

I ordered the crème brûlée and Adrian chocolate ice-cream with Amarula. Of course he had to take something with liqueur in it. When the ober brought our desserts to the table, I wanted to dig in immediately, but Adrian stopped me.

"Wait," he said, taking my hand. "I'd like to say something."

I paused, then put down my fork. "Okay."

He smiled at me. "How long have we been together now?"

I frowned. Wasn't he supposed to know that? "Almost two years," I replied.

"Right," he said, his smile widening. "I think it's time we take the next step in our relationship, don't you agree?"

Before I could utter my surprise, he went down on one knee and pulled out a small, velvet box. I glanced around uncomfortably as people started to turn around in their seats to look at us. Adrian opened the box and revealed a beautiful diamond ring.

A small gasp escaped my lips. He was proposing to me? In front of all these people?

"Will you marry me, Rose?" Adrian asked, a hopeful look in his eyes.

I was flustered. Everyone was staring at us and I felt pressured to give an answer while I didn't really know what to say. I was still in shock. I'd never expected this.

 _What should I do? What should I do? Oh my God, everyone's watching us. Oh God, Oh God. I wish I could call Lissa and ask advice._

My thoughts were going crazy. Adrian looked at me expectantly as I stared at the ring, overwhelmed. What should I do?

 _Say yes. It's the right thing to do_ , a voice inside my head told me. _You love him so why not?_

 _But what about Dimitri? What would he say?_ a new voice whispered. _Can you really do this to him?_

But Dimitri was moving on. He didn't care anymore. I should let go of the past and move on as well.

"Rose?" Adrian asked after a few moments, hesitant now.

I glanced around at the people and then at him, biting my lip.

 _Don't think! Just do it!_

"Yes," I said at last. "Yes, I'll marry you."

Adrian smiled proudly as he slipped the ring onto my finger. I smiled back, my cheeks red with embarrassment. I hated that everyone was witnessing this; they were all clapping and whistling. Adrian rose to his feet and kissed me on the lips.

"Oh God, did you really have to do this here?" I murmured into his ear, glancing back at the crowd.

Adrian followed my gaze and grinned at. "Why not? It seems like they're loving the show."

I rolled my eyes at him and he kissed my cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," I said, my smile fading a little.

Afterwards, I wanted to go home and talk to Lissa, but Adrian insisted we'd go by his place first and tell Dimitri. I'd rather bash my head into a wall than tell Dimitri that Adrian and I were going to get married, but I followed him anyway.

When we arrived at the apartment, Dimitri was still up. He was working on his laptop and didn't notice us walk in.

"Hey, we're back," Adrian said loudly.

Dimitri looked up. His eyes met mine for a brief second and then he looked back at his laptop screen. "I can see that," he muttered. He seemed preoccupied as his fingers flew over the keyboard.

"Let's just go back to my place," I murmured to Adrian. "He's busy with work. We shouldn't interrupt-"

"Nah, he'll stop typing as soon as I tell him and then we'll celebrate," Adrian said. He cleared his throat, walked over to Dimitri and closed his laptop.

"Hey!" Dimitri protested. "I was in the middle of-"

"You can do your work tomorrow. We've got big news to share with you," Adrian cut him off. He looked over at me and waved me over. Reluctantly, I joined him at the kitchen table. "We're going to get married! She said yes!" Adrian said excitedly. "Show him the ring, Rose. Show him!"

Dimitri glanced up at me, and to my surprise, there was sadness in his eyes. Clearing his throat, he said, "That's a beautiful ring." He hadn't even looked at the ring; he was still looking at _me_. "Congratulations."

I didn't realize until now that I was holding my breath. I released it and whispered, "Thank you."

Adrian grinned and rubbed his hands together. "So who's in the mood for-"

Dimitri stood up abruptly. "I'm exhausted so I'll be going to bed." He grabbed his laptop and hurried to his room. Glancing over his shoulder, he said with a forced smile, "Congratulations…again."

Then he disappeared into his room.

Adrian frowned and muttered, "There goes my little party."

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes again. "Actually, I'm tired as well. So if you don't mind, I'd like to go to bed. To sleep," I added when I saw the look on Adrian's face.

He looked disappointed for a moment, but then he shrugged. "Okay, maybe you're right. We did have a long day. We can celebrate tomorrow," he added with a smile.

"After I tell Lissa," I said.

"After you tell Lissa," he agreed.

"Alright then. I can live with that." I smiled at him and took his hand in mine, leading him to his bedroom. "Let's get some rest now."

I glanced back at Dimitri's closed door and saw his woeful face before me again. I blinked and shook my head to clear my thoughts.

 _S_ _uck it up, Rose._

* * *

 _This was kind of a sad chapter, especially for Dimitri. But you all knew that it was going to happen eventually. Next chapter will contain flashbacks again, and it'll probably be the last chapter with flashbacks. The rest of the story will play out in the present._

 _Thanks again for reading and reviewing this story, even though I suck at updating regularly like I used to do. It means a lot to me that you guys are still reading this story. I hope you are doing well. xoxo_


	20. Chapter 20

_Happy Easter! Here's a new chapter especially for you guys. Thanks for the reviews._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 20**

 **DPOV – MAY 15, 2014**

The last few days had been a blur. I guess I was still shaken up that the girl I loved was going to marry my best friend and there was no way to stop that from happening. She chose Adrian. And now she'd chosen to marry him.

I didn't get why I was so upset. Adrian had warned me beforehand so why had I been so shocked when Rose walked into the apartment with that big diamond ring on her finger? Besides, I'd moved on. I'd known – even before they'd gotten engaged – that she'd chosen Adrian. She'd told me so that day in her car. So why the hell was I upset by the fact they'd made it official now?

But deep in my heart, I knew the reason why I was so upset. I was still in love with her. I kept telling Adrian that I was over her and that I'd moved on. And I really was trying to move on. That's why I was dating Tasha again. Because I wanted to give her a real chance this time.

But I realized now that I was never going to get over Rose completely if I kept seeing her every day. If I wanted to move on and keep my friendship with Adrian intact I needed to stop seeing her face every day. Maybe I should move out of the apartment and find a place for myself, a place where Rose had never been, a place where I wasn't confronted with memories of her every day.

But if I moved out, Adrian might think that I was not over her. _Just hold on a little longer, Dimitri. They're getting married so it's only a matter of time before they move in together._

The thought of them moving in together, having a life together, pained me. But seeing Rose's beautiful face every day hurt me even more. I would ask Adrian if they had plans to get a place for themselves. If they weren't going to move in together before their wedding, I would leave.

When I got home, the apartment was empty. Rose and Adrian were nowhere to be found. Relieved, I plumped down onto the couch, my head in my hands. What a mess. Rose and Adrian were going to get married and I was supposed to be the best man. I wasn't sure I could do that. How I was feeling right now, I wasn't even sure I could attend the wedding.

But, unfortunately, Adrian had briefed Tasha already about the wedding and she was really looking forward to it. Probably because that meant Rose was no longer a threat to her. If only she knew.

My wayward thoughts were interrupted by my cellphone ringing loudly. Sighing, I pulled the phone out of my pocket, then noticed it wasn't my phone ringing but someone else's. I spotted Adrian's phone on the coffee table. I wanted to ignore it, but it kept ringing and ringing.

Should I answer? Maybe it was work… Or Rose. What if it was her? Cautiously, I reached for the phone when it started ringing for the third time. It was an unknown caller ID. I hesitated again. It could be Rose. Maybe she was calling from another phone. I didn't know what to do, but when the phone rang a fourth time I picked up.

"Finally," a woman's voice on the other side said, exasperated. She did not sound like Rose. "When are we meeting again, Adrian?"

I had a bad feeling about this. She might just be one of his clients or a co-worker, but my gut said that she was neither. Clearing my throat, I said, "I'm sorry, but this is Adrian's roommate. I'm afraid he forgot his phone. Do you want me to leave him a message?"

It was quiet for a few moments.

"Hello?"

"Yes, I'm still here." A pause. "You're Adrian's roommate?"

"Yes."

"Alright, tell him that I called and that he needs to meet me tonight at…" Another pause. "He'll know where he needs to go."

I scowled. This was definitely not a colleague or a client. "Alright… What's your name?"

"Olivia," she answered.

"Okay, Olivia," I said with forced politeness, "I'll deliver him the message."

"Thanks."

She hung up. I glared at the phone and almost threw it across the room, then remembered it wasn't mine. Angry and frustrated, I slammed it down onto the coffee table and started pacing around the room. I prayed this wasn't what I was thinking, that Adrian wasn't cheating on Rose again.

After ten minutes of walking back and forth across the living room, the front door opened and Adrian walked in with that devil-may-care smile of his on his face.

"You son of a bitch," I exclaimed, striding over to him.

Adrian looked startled as I pushed him against the door. He scowled at me and straightened his tie.

"What the hell did I do to you?"

"Who's Olivia?" I demanded. His eyes widened in surprise, then fear. "Who is she?" He didn't reply; he just looked at me, panicked. "You promised you wouldn't cheat on Rose again! You promised!"

"I didn't," he insisted. "Calm down, Dimitri. You're making a fool of yourself."

I glared at him. "Then why did that girl call to meet you tonight?"

"I don't know," he said hurriedly. "I don't know a girl named Olivia."

"Stop lying," I said, gritting my teeth. "You forgot your phone and she called you. When I picked up, she asked for you. She wants to see you tonight. She said you'd know where to meet her."

He gulped, his eyes wide. "Well…"

"Bastard!" I was so pissed I could punch him in the face. I quickly took several steps back before I lost complete control. "How could you do this to Rose? Why did you ask her to marry you if you're just going to continue cheating on her?"

"Hey, who said I was going to meet Olivia tonight?" Adrian shouted, scowling at me. "I met Olivia before I got engaged to Rose, before you found out about my….umm…" He looked down, embarrassed. "Escapades?"

I scoffed. "Escapades? Really?" Adrian rolled his eyes. "Still! This is yet another woman you've been fooling around with behind Rose's back! How many are there?"

"It's just Rose now, I swear," Adrian pressed.

"Then why was she calling you?"

He shrugged. "I guess she didn't get the memo-"

I balled my hands into fists as I glared at him. "Quit joking around!"

"I mean it, since I got engaged I haven't touched another woman besides Rose," Adrian said.

"Oh, wow, and how long has that been?" I bit out. "A week?!"

Adrian glowered at me and crossed his arms. "It's my understanding that you are not over my girlfriend – _my fiancée_ – yet. Clearly. I guess I'm not the only one who couldn't keep his promise."

"You expect me to get over Rose in just a couple of weeks and be fine with the fact that you are still cheating on her?" I exclaimed in outrage.

"Like I said, I'm not cheating on her anymore," Adrian retorted. "I'm not going to meet Olivia tonight. And I'll tell her so."

"I don't believe you," I snapped.

"Then don't," Adrian shot back. He looked at me angrily and took a step forwards. "You know, you're not a saint either, Dimitri. How do you think Tasha will feel when she finds out you're in love with someone else? You're in love with your best friend's girlfriend. How much worse can it be?" He shook his head, still laughing. "Really, Dimitri. You're not much better than I am."

"Don't try to change the subject, Adrian," I growled.

He smirked at me. "Why? Is it pissing you off to finally hear the truth?" He laughed. "It must suck to be you. I mean, the girl you've been pining for is going to marry another guy – _me_. Ha! You must really hate me right now."

In a flash, I was on him. Grabbing him by the shoulders, I slammed him into the door and punched him in the face. Blood spurted out of his nose, but that didn't stop me. It didn't stop him either. Screaming, he tried to push me away. His fist collided with my jaw, but I barely felt it. Adrian let out a yelp and pulled back his hand immediately.

"Stop!" he pleaded. "Stop, Dimitri!"

I was ready to slam him against the door for a second chance when I suddenly realized what I was doing. Shocked, I stepped back.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Adrian said in a muffled voice, holding his bloody nose. "I shouldn't have said that. It was a low blow. Just…don't punch me anymore." He scowled at me. "But in all fairness, you have to admit that I'm right. You're not over Rose. I don't think you have even tried."

"I did try," I exclaimed. "I've tried over and over. But seeing you two together, knowing that you have been cheating on her for God knows how long, I just…" I let out a frustrated groan. "She deserves better, Adrian! She deserves the best. Nothing less. But you…you take her for granted and I hate it!"

I was out of breath. Adrian stared at me, wide-eyed. He was covered in blood. I couldn't believe I did that to my best friend. If I could still call him that.

"I'm done," I told him. "I am so done."

He frowned. "What do you mean?"

"I'm tired of fixing your relationship with Rose every fucking time – knowing that I shouldn't because you're anything but good for her. But here I am, doing it anyway because you're my best friend," I said angrily. "Well, I've had enough. I don't want to be around when Rose finally finds out what a lying bastard you really are. And don't you think that she won't find out, Adrian. She will. Eventually."

"Why? Are you going to tell her now?" he snarled.

I knew that if I'd tell her, she wouldn't believe me. She'd probably think I was just trying to break her up with Adrian.

"No, I'm leaving," I told him. "I can't do this anymore. It's not my place to tell her so I won't, but I can't keep lying to her anymore. I can't watch her marry a guy that doesn't deserve her. So I'm going."

Still pissed, I marched to my bedroom and pulled out a suitcase, jamming all my belongings into it. When I'd packed everything up, I returned to the living room. Adrian sat at the kitchen table, trying to stop the bleeding with a handkerchief.

"What? You're serious about leaving?" he exclaimed, bewildered. "I thought you just said that because you're pissed."

"Of course I'm serious. This is not a game, Adrian," I snapped. I tore open the door and stormed into the hallway, hauling my suitcase. Before slamming the door closed behind me, I called, "And if you care about Rose at all, you'd tell her the truth!"

 **RPOV – MAY 15, 2014**

"I'm sorry I'm late, I was stuck in traffic," I apologized as I entered the apartment. When I saw Adrian's face, I gasped loudly. "Oh my God, what happened to you?" I exclaimed, rushing forward.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he reassured me, pulling away from my grasp. His face was covered in blood and so was his shirt. "Don't worry. The bleeding stopped." He looked down at the handkerchief in his hand, also covered in blood. "I think," he added with a frown.

"Does it hurt?" I asked.

He looked agitated. "Of course it hurts!"

"Do you want to go to the hospital? Maybe it's broken…"

"Nah, I don't think so. It'll be fine," Adrian muttered.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

"Do you want me to call Lissa?" I asked, worried. "She can check if your nose is broken…"

"No, I don't want anyone to know about this."

"Well, let me at least take a look," I said.

"Fine," he muttered.

I walked into the bathroom and grabbed a washcloth. I returned to the kitchen, where Adrian sat. Dampening the washcloth at the sink, I started cleaning his face carefully. Adrian yelped a couple of times, but otherwise he was quiet.

"So what happened?" I asked again. "Were you mugged?"

Adrian grimaced. "No. I wish."

I was so confused. "Then what the hell happened?"

Adrian looked away. "Dimitri happened," he muttered begrudgingly.

Now I was even more confused. "Dimitri?"

"Yes. He punched me in the face," Adrian grumbled.

What the hell?! "But…why? I don't understand."

"Me neither."

Suddenly, a thought occurred to me. What if…what if Dimitri had slipped up and told Adrian about our kiss? My heart sped up and I had to take a deep breath to calm myself down. _No, if that was the case Adrian would have told me already. He would be too angry at me to stay quiet. Right?_

"Did you guys have a fight about something?" I asked, a slight tremble in my voice.

Adrian shrugged, but didn't answer.

"Where is he now?" I asked.

"He left," Adrian answered.

"Did he say when he'll be back?"

"He's not coming back."

My head snapped up in surprise. "What do you mean, he's not coming back?!"

"He packed his suitcase and left," Adrian explained. "He's gone."

Suddenly, I felt very faint. He left? Dimitri left? Why? What happened? What made him leave? I nearly stumbled over my own feet as I hurried to his bedroom and pushed open the door. Frantically, I opened his closet and drawers. All of his clothes were gone. And so were his books and laptop.

No. No. _No._ This wasn't happening. Dimitri couldn't have left. Not without saying goodbye. Not without telling me why.

"Adrian, what happened?" I demanded, storming out of Dimitri's room. "What did you do?"

Adrian looked at me, outraged. "What did I do? He's the one who freaked out and punched me! He nearly broke my nose! Tomorrow I'll be covered in bruises! How am I supposed to go to work looking like this?!"

"Is that the only thing you can think about?" I exclaimed. "Dimitri _left_! Your best friend left!"

"I know," Adrian said, gritting his teeth. "I was there!"

I was yelling now. "Why didn't you try to stop him?"

"I did! He wouldn't listen!" Adrian yelled back. "Why are you yelling at me anyway? I didn't do anything wrong!"

I stared at him for a few moments, realizing my behavior must come across as odd. "I'm sorry," I said quietly when I'd composed myself. "I'm just trying to understand. What did you guys fight about? Please tell me."

"I don't know! I don't know what the hell happened! All I know is that he freaked out all of a sudden and then he punched me."

"You must have said something to set him off. Dimitri isn't like that," I said, trying to keep my voice under control. "He wouldn't punch you for no reason. He's your best friend and…he isn't a violent person."

"Well, people change," Adrian snapped. He got up and strode past me. "I'm going to take a shower."

"But-"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore!" Adrian cut me off.

With great reluctance, I let him go to the bathroom. I sat down on the couch, still upset. A tear escaped the corner of my eye and I wiped it away. Why would he leave? I couldn't help but think that it had something to do with me. Everything had changed after I'd kissed him. He'd avoided me ever since, which I could understand. But I'd never thought he'd leave because of that. Maybe he'd had enough. Maybe he couldn't stand to look at me anymore. But why would he have punched Adrian then? Something must've happened between the two of them.

I pulled out my cellphone and dialed Dimitri's number. "Come on, pick up, pick up," I mumbled, distraught. When it went to voicemail, I groaned in frustration. _What now?_ I decided to leave a message. Hopefully he'd call me back as soon as he heard it.

"Hi, it's Rose," I said in a small voice. "I – I just heard from Adrian that you left. What happened? Please call me back."

He didn't call me back that night. Or the day after. I left a dozen messages, each of them sounding a little more desperate than the ones before.

"Please, comrade," I begged.

Two weeks had passed now and no one had heard from him yet. Adrian had given up already and he didn't want to talk about the incident. He refused to tell me what had happened between the two of them.

"I need to talk to you. Please call me back. Please." Silent tears were running down my cheeks. "I just want to know if you're alright. I'm worried about you."

He never called.

* * *

 _This was the last flashback chapter. More to come soon and I promise you, it won't take much longer before Rose and Dimitri get together. Please leave a review and let me know if you liked the chapter Enjoy the rest of your weekend ;)_


	21. Chapter 21

_Thank you very much for the reviews! From now on, there won't be any flashbacks anymore. The focus will now be more on Rose's and Dimitri's relationship in the present._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 21**

 **RPOV – JULY 20, 2015**

Not everyone liked the idea of me staying longer than planned. Mason refused to leave without knowing why I wasn't going home just yet.

"She just needs a little more time off before she comes back," Lissa said patiently.

"We went over this three times. Can we go now?" Christian asked, not so patient.

Mason looked at me. "Are you sure you want to stay, Rose?" he asked again. "What are you going to do here all alone anyway?"

"I'm not alone," I told him. "I have Dimitri."

Mason scowled at that, but the scowl disappeared quickly. "Would you like me to stay with you? To keep you company."

I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. His protectiveness was starting to drive me crazy. "I'll be fine, Mason," I answered bluntly. "I can take care of myself."

Mason looked taken aback. "I know you can take care of yourself, but I thought…you might want company."

"Dimitri will be here if she needs something," Eddie spoke up. "She'll be alright, Mase. Let's go now. Christian is getting a little impatient."

Christian nodded vehemently. "Just a little," he said sarcastically.

I smiled reluctantly. "I'll be fine here with Dimitri," I told Mason. "We'll see each other again when I get back home."

"Okay," Mason said unwillingly. "I guess I'll see you at home, then."

"Aright, now everything's settled, we can finally leave," Christian said, already making his way to the front door. "Dimitri, thanks for letting us stay here! See you in a few weeks, Rose. Bye now."

"Bye," I called as he walked out, followed by Eddie and Mason.

Lissa hugged me one last time, thanked Dimitri again and hurried after them. Dimitri and I waved at them as they backed out of the driveway and took off. I felt a little jittery now that I was alone with Dimitri. I'd spent a lot of time with him alone the past few days, but now that my friends had left we were _completely_ alone.

Before something could happen, though, I needed to clear up a few things. I needed to finally tell him the truth.

"Can we talk?" I asked, looking up at him.

He looked surprised by the serious tone in my voice. "Sure," he answered after a pause.

"Let's go take a walk on the beach," I suggested. I didn't want to sit down for this; I was too nervous.

Dimitri nodded, a curious look crossing his face. "After you."

The first ten minutes were quiet. I was still trying to work up the courage to tell him what was on my mind. After lying so long to him – and to myself – it wasn't so easy.

 _Just get it over with, Rose._

"I lied," I blurted out.

Dimitri stopped walking, confusion written all over his face. I stopped as well. Looking into his eyes, I said, "Remember when we had that fight in my car? ? It was a few days after I kissed you…"

Dimitri nodded. "I remember," he said quietly, a pained expression on his face.

"I lied," I repeated. "When you asked me if I had feelings for you, I lied to you. I did have feelings for you. It's why I kissed you." His eyes widened in wonder. I looked away and continued, in a softer voice, "But I loved Adrian too."

"I know," Dimitri murmured.

"I'm sorry," I said, looking at him again. "I shouldn't have lied to you." I paused, reconsidering. "Hell, I shouldn't have kissed you. Even if I did have feelings for you…"

"I liked it when you kissed me," Dimitri said, his eyes honest and sincere.

"I liked it too," I admitted. "But I felt so guilty afterwards, you know."

"Because of Adrian," Dimitri said, nodding.

"Yes, but also for leading you on like that," I continued. "I was confused, but that's no excuse. I crossed a line and-"

"Hey, don't be too hard on yourself," Dimitri cut me off gently. "I crossed a line, too, when I kissed my best friend's girlfriend back. Besides, if I hadn't told you about my feelings, nothing would have happened."

"Says who?" I sighed. "I mean, it's not like I had feelings for you just then. I already had feelings for you way before…that kiss. So it easily could've happened another night." I shook my head, sighing again. "Looking back now, I realize how selfish I was. Leading you on, staying with Adrian even though I had feelings for someone else…"

"You said you loved Adrian," Dimitri said. "So why would you have left him?"

"Because I cheated on him with you," I muttered. "It would have been the right thing to do…to break up with him…but I was a coward. I was afraid I'd lose you both. And that I'd ruin your friendship. That's what scared me most of all."

Dimitri was quiet as he looked out over the sea. Sighing, he sat down in the sand. I didn't know if he was frustrated, angry or sad. Hesitantly, I sat down next to him. My eyes drifted to his face, trying to find out how he was feeling right now.

"Can I ask you something?" Dimitri asked, looking up at me.

"Of course," I said cautiously.

"If it's true that you had feelings for me back then, why did you say yes to Adrian?" he choked out, looking hurt. "When he asked you to marry him… Why did you say yes?"

"I'd convinced myself that Adrian was the only one I loved," I said honestly. "I'd convinced myself that I was sad because I was losing you as a friend, not because you were moving on with someone else. When I saw you were happy with Tasha, I wanted that as well. So when Adrian popped the question I said yes."

"I was never really happy with Tasha," Dimitri muttered. "I was just trying to move on so I thought I'd give her another chance, but I broke up with her a few weeks after I moved out. I could no longer be with someone I didn't love."

"I'm so sorry, Dimitri," I whispered. I had tears in my eyes. "I never meant to hurt you. You have to know that."

"I know," he murmured.

"I'm sorry that I made you leave," I cried. "And I'm sorry that I blamed it all on you. It wasn't your fault. I am the only one to blame for what happened."

"Stop, Roza," Dimitri said softly. "You didn't make me do anything. _I_ chose to leave."

"But it's my fault you had that fight with Adrian," I said, my voice unsteady. "Isn't it? And then you left."

Dimitri glanced away. "No, that wasn't your fault. I was jealous of Adrian. Because he had you. And then he proposed to you…and I couldn't handle it. I was angry at _him_ , not at you."

Sniffling, I wiped at my eyes. "I'm sorry."

Dimitri grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. "We were both at fault. We both made mistakes." He paused. "And so did Adrian."

"Yeah, I guess so," I mumbled.

It was quiet for a long time. Dimitri was still holding my hand as he processed things. I wanted to know what he was thinking, what he was going to do with this information. What if he'd decide I was a selfish bitch after all and send me home?

Before I could start to panic, Dimitri asked, "Did your feelings for me ever go away completely?"

His voice was so quiet, I barely heard his question. But I did hear it and I had no idea how to answer it. Because, honestly, I didn't know.

"I'm not sure."

His eyes flicked to mine, confused.

"I…" I paused. "I had a hard time when you left and I spent a lot of days wondering if I'd made the right decision when I said yes to Adrian. But as time passed, I realized I had a good life with Adrian. My thoughts became less about you and more about him. I'll admit, it was easier to love him with you gone."

Dimitri looked away. His jaw clenched and he let go of my hand. I tried not to take it personally.

"I refused to think about you because I was finally in a happy place," I said softly, "and I didn't want to ruin that. I knew that if I allowed myself to miss you, I would break and try to reach out to you again." I let out a sigh. "And then you came back , and everything I'd ever felt for you came rushing back to me. I'd worked so hard to forget you, to mash my feelings all down and ignore it and finally be completely happy with Adrian." I realized I was rambling, but I didn't care. I just needed to say it. I needed Dimitri to know how I'd felt. How I felt right now. "But then he died and you showed up at my door and…it seemed as if no time had passed at all. As if those feelings had never really faded away. They'd just been buried and seeing you again after all that time…" I paused to catch my breath. "I didn't want to admit it to myself at first, but all of my feelings resurfaced the moment you walked back into my life," I finished.

Dimitri was staring at the ocean again, his face unreadable. "Really? Cause I never seem to be able to figure out what you're thinking, what you're feeling… When it comes to me, at least."

I was surprised. "Huh. I thought I was too obvious about it."

Dimitri smiled reluctantly. "No, you're not."

I nudged him. "You're one to talk, comrade. You are hard to read as well." His smile widened at my playful tone. I was relieved he was looking at me again. "You always have been," I said, serious again.

Dimitri was quiet. As I waited for him to say something, I got nervous again. What was he thinking?

"Are you mad at me?" I whispered, a little scared to know the answer.

He looked at me with surprise. "Of course not."

"Should I not have told you?" I asked, biting my lip.

"No, no, I'm glad you told me," he said.

When he saw the worried look on my face, he took my hand again and gave me a reassuring smile.

I breathed a sigh of relief. "So…we're okay?"

His smile turned warm. "We're okay." A pause. "Roza."

My heart swelled at hearing the nickname come from his lips. I smiled back automatically. His arm wrapped around me as I snuggled into his side and closed my eyes.

"Thank you," I said softly.

I felt him press a kiss to my forehead and I got butterflies in my stomach. My smile widening, I buried my face in his neck and inhaled. God, he smelled so good!

I don't know how long we sat there on the beach, just the two of us, huddled together, but it was nice. Very nice. I wouldn't have minded to stay there all of time, but unfortunately my stomach had other plans. It was growling loudly, telling me that I needed food.

Dimitri smiled. "Something tells me you're hungry."

I blushed. "Only a little."

He stood up and pulled me up with his hands. We walked close to each other, arms touching. When we got to the house, neither of us was in the mood to cook so we ordered pizza.

"I have to meet a couple of clients tomorrow," Dimitri said after dinner, "so you'll be alone for a few hours. You don't mind?"

"Oh." It surprised me that I was a little disappointed. But I realized I was being silly. Dimitri would be gone for just a few hours. I could do without him for a couple of hours. "That's fine. Of course you have to work."

"I'd rather spend time with you," he said, making me smile. "I should be home in the afternoon."

I nodded. "Okay."

I paused as I considered my next question. I wasn't sure if I should ask him, but he was the only one I knew who could give me more information about this.

Dimitri noticed the look on my face and asked, "What's wrong, Rose?"

"I, umm," I stammered, looking down at my hands. Taking a deep breath, I looked up at him and said, "I have to move out of my house. I can't afford to live there by myself. It's too expensive. So I'd like to sell it, but I don't know how to start, where to find the right buyers and…" I bit my lip. "I was wondering if you could help me out. Do you know a good real estate agent-"

"I can help you," Dimitri cut me off. He smiled. "You don't need to hire a real estate agent to sell your house. I can do it for you."

"But…" I hesitated. "Won't that be too weird?" I cleared my throat. "I mean, won't it complicate things further? With all that's happened in the past…"

"No, it's fine," Dimitri said. "Unless you really want someone else to-"

"No," I said hastily. "You were my first choice because I trust you, but I thought… I thought that you might not want to do it," I admitted.

"I'll do it," Dimitri said.

"Yeah?" I asked, still a little unsure.

He nodded. "It's not a problem."

I smiled, relieved. "Thank you."

"So where are you going to go?" Dimitri asked after a few moments.

"I can stay with Lissa and Christian until I find a place for myself," I answered.

"Does Christian know that?" Dimitri asked, raising an eyebrow.

I grinned. "I'm not sure. Lissa said she would tell him."

Dimitri smiled. "I'm sure he'll be fine with it. And if not," he added, his voice quieter, "you can stay here if you'd like."

He looked at me carefully, gauging my reaction.

I was caught off guard. "Dimitri, I…"

"Y-you don't have to," he stammered quickly. He looked embarrassed. "I was just saying…if you can't stay with them, you can always stay here. I don't mind." Before I could answer, he said, "I'm going to take a shower. I'll see you later."

Then he was out the door, leaving me speechless. While I appreciated his offer, I didn't think I could take him up on it. I knew I was the one who'd asked him if I could stay longer, but I didn't want to stay here indefinitely. I wanted to take things slow with him and I knew that if I'd move in here we wouldn't be taking it slow.

When Dimitri didn't return after an hour had passed, I figured he was still a little embarrassed about earlier. I decided to give him some space, but the more time passed the worse I felt about the whole situation.

After tossing and turning around in bed for about half an hour, I decided to get up and talk to Dimitri. Quietly, I slipped out of my room, then remembered that my friends had left this morning so I didn't have to be this quiet anymore.

It was past eleven and wasn't sure if Dimitri was still up, but I softly knocked on his door and then peeked inside to see if he was awake.

He was.

He was staring at the ceiling, lost in thought, but when I closed the door he glanced away from the ceiling and looked at me. I couldn't really see the look on his face because it was dark.

"Hi," I said awkwardly, my voice quiet. "You never came back after your shower."

Dimitri flicked on the bedside table lamp. Finally I could see his face clearly. He looked a little surprised to see me.

He looked away again and sighed. "I'm sorry about before. I should never have said what I said to you."

I took a few steps forward and sat down on the edge of his bed. "No, please don't apologize. It was a kind gesture, but…"

"But it was also a very stupid idea," Dimitri finished for me, still not looking at me.

I shook my head. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything. It was just…unexpected."

"I'm sorry," Dimitri apologized again.

"Don't," I told him. I lay down beside him so I could look him in the eye. "Don't be sorry." I let out a sigh. "It's really nice to hear that you want me to stay, but I… I have to go back home eventually. I have a job I need to go back to and all my friends are there."

"I know," Dimitri muttered. "I know you can't stay here. I shouldn't have suggested it."

"It's not that I don't like it here. I do. I love it here," I said. "But I don't want to rush things. Now that I have a real chance with you, I don't want to do anything that could ruin it. Let's just take things slow, okay?"

"You're right," Dimitri said softly. "We shouldn't rush it."

I smiled at him. "Thank you for understanding."

He smiled back. His eyes flicked down, then back up at me. There was a hesitant look in his eyes. "Can I hold your hand?" he asked at last, almost nervous.

As he looked at me, I felt the butterflies in my belly again. Unable to talk for a moment, I nodded and placed my hand in his. Dimitri smiled softly.

"Can I sleep here tonight?" I asked. "I don't want to be alone."

In all honesty, I didn't want to be without him. I knew I'd just said to take things slow and I would do that, but I didn't want to leave him. Although I knew he'd just be in the next room, although it was just for one night, I didn't want to miss him.

"Sure," Dimitri said.

I smiled gratefully and rolled onto my back, still holding his hand. With his free hand, Dimitri pulled the covers over us and turned off the lamp.

"Good night, Roza," he whispered.

I smiled again, even though he couldn't see it, and closed my eyes. "Good night, comrade."

* * *

 _I hope you liked the chapter. Soon the Belikov family will be joining Rose and Dimitri and of course there will be lots of Romitri moments ;)_

 _Enjoy your weekend! ^^_


	22. Chapter 22

_Thank you so much for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 22**

 **RPOV – JULY 31, 2015**

"So how are things going over there?" Lissa asked. "You made any progress with Dimitri?"

I couldn't help but grin. "You know we're taking things slow."

"Yeah, I know," Lissa said, "but you've been alone with him for nearly two weeks now. Something must've happened by now!"

"No, nothing's happened, Liss," I told her. I grabbed the phone with my left hand and popped a slice of bread in the toaster with the other hand. "He's very patient with me."

I couldn't see her, but I knew she was frowning right now. "Oh, come on, what the hell are you guys doing then?"

I shrugged. "Talking. We've actually become very close in the past few weeks."

"You guys were already close before all of this," Lissa muttered.

"Are you rolling your eyes at me right now?" I asked. "I have a feeling that you are."

"Yes, you're right. I am rolling my eyes at you right now," she answered. "Come on, Rose. I'm your best friend. You can tell me more than this."

"Fine." Knowing this would freak her out completely, I said, "I've been sleeping in his since you guys left."

" _What_?!"

I grinned again. "Yeah."

"You mean sleeping or _sleeping_?"

"Sleeping," I told her, my voice stern.

"I don't know which one you mean," Lissa said. She groaned. "Ugh, I wish I could see your face right now."

"Don't worry, Liss. It's just sleeping," I reassured her. "Nothing else. I swear."

"Uh-huh."

She didn't sound like she believed me.

"I swear, Liss!"

"Fine, I believe you," she said. I could hear the smile in her voice. "So when's his family coming?"

"Tonight, actually," I answered.

"And how many of them are coming?" she asked.

"His mother is coming and his youngest sister," I told her. "His other two sisters…I'm not sure. Oh, and his grandmother is coming of course."

"Well, if his other sisters are coming as well you might have to give up your bedroom," Lissa said. "Not that you're using it anyway."

I scowled. "Hey!"

"I'm just teasing you," Lissa said laughing. "But I could be right."

"Yeah, well, I can always sleep on the couch," I said.

"Why? You've been sleeping in Dimitri's bed for so long now," Lissa said. "I can't imagine he'd kick you out because his family is coming."

"I know, but I don't want them to get the wrong idea," I said, biting my lip. "I don't want them to think that I'm using Dimitri or something."

"Are you nervous about meeting them?"

"Why'd you think that?"

"I can hear it in your voice," Lissa answered.

"Yeah, I guess I am a little nervous," I admitted.

"Why?" she demanded.

Startled, I looked up when I heard the door open followed by footsteps. "I've got to go," I said in a hushed voice. "I'll call you back later, okay? Love you." I hung up just when Dimitri walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, comrade."

Dimitri smiled brightly. "Good morning, Roza."

I smiled back and, turning to the toaster, I said, "I thought I'd make you some toast-" I cut myself off when I took a look at the bread. "Shit, it's burnt!" I exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I should have paid more attention, but I was talking to Liss and I – I forgot about it. Sorry."

Dimitri chuckled. "It's fine, Rose. I don't have time for breakfast anyway."

I frowned. "Why not? You should eat before work."

"I have a meeting in less than twenty minutes," Dimitri said. "I have to leave right now."

"Oh."

"I'll see you tonight, okay? I'll try to get back before my family arrives."

I nodded. "S-sure. But don't you think it'll be weird if I'm all alone here when they arrive? I mean, they don't know me."

"I told them about you. They know you're here so it'll be fine," Dimitri said reassuringly.

I glanced away from him. "Okay. Sure."

Dimitri paused in the door opening and walked over to me. "Are you sure you're okay, Roza?" he asked.

I forced a smile onto my face. "Yes, of course."

"You don't look okay," he said.

"Shouldn't you go to work now?" I said, giving him a little push to the door, that forced smile still on my face. "Hurry up, comrade. You don't want to be late for your-"

"Are you nervous about meeting my family?" he asked, interrupting me.

"No," I said, giving him a surprised look. "Of course I'm not – fine, yes, I'm nervous," I sighed when he raised his eyebrow at me.

"Why?" he asked.

I shrugged. "I don't know. I guess I'm worried they won't like me."

Dimitri smiled. "Of course they'll like you."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you're very likeable, Roza," he answered.

"Ha ha," I said dryly.

"I mean it," he said gently. Tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear, he said, "Don't worry. I _know_ they'll like you."

"But how do you know?" I said in a whiny voice.

"Because _I_ like you."

That shut me up. His gaze was unwavering and at last I sighed. "You're right. I'm sure it'll be fine."

"You going to be okay now?"

My smile was sincere now. "Yes, I'll be fine. Now go, comrade. You're going to be late for your appointment."

"Right," he said as he started for the door. "Call me if you need anything."

"Wait," I called out. He stopped at the door and I rushed towards him. Before I could change my mind, I kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks, comrade. Have a nice day at work."

He looked surprised, but smiled warmly. "Bye, Roza."

The way he looked at me right now made my heart burn with longing. Before I did something worse than kiss his cheek, I looked away from him. When I heard the front door close, I breathed a sigh of relief.

The rest of the day was pretty much agony. I kept waiting for the doorbell to ring, announcing his family had arrived. Finally, at five p.m., they did.

"Okay, here we go," I muttered to myself as I walked over to the front door.

Taking a deep breath, I unlocked the door and opened it, putting a brave smile on my face. I hoped they wouldn't mind me being here.

There were five of them. Five women. And I had no idea who was who. The elderly woman must be his mother. But the three sisters… I knew their names, but I didn't know which name belonged to which sister. They all looked pretty much alike. And then, in the back, there was this really old-looking woman, her face wrinkled and her skin thin as paper. I assumed she was Dimitri's grandmother.

Before I could utter a word to them one of his sisters exclaimed, "Who are you?"

I chuckled uncomfortably. "Good question. I am-"

"You're Rose, aren't you? Dimka told us you'd be here."

Startled, I looked at Dimitri's mother. What was her name again? _Olena? Yes, it's Olena._

"Yes, that's me," I said, smiling again. "You must be Dimitri's mother, right?"

She nodded and smiled. "Dimka has told me so much about you, Rose."

He did?

"It's so nice to finally meet you." She stepped forward and hugged me. I was caught off guard, but recovered quickly and hugged her back. "My name is Olena."

"It's nice to meet you too, Olena," I replied politely.

Her smile widened as she pulled away from the hug and introduced her daughters. "This is my youngest, Viktoria."

Viktoria grinned broadly. "Hi!"

It surprised me how much she resembled Dimitri. She was also very tall and had the same eye and hair color as him. The other girls weren't as tall, but I could definitely see some resemblance between them and their brother.

"And this is Sonya," Olena continued, pointing at the girl in the middle who'd asked who I was. She nodded at me, a reserved look on her face. "This is Karolina, my oldest."

"It's very nice to meet you, Rose," Karolina said politely, a small smile on her face.

"And last but not least," Olena said, putting her arm around the old woman. "This is my mother Yeva." She said something in Russian to the old woman, pointing at me. Yeva looked up at me, her eyes boring into mine so hard it made me uncomfortable, and then muttered something back in Russian as she kept staring at me. I had no idea what she'd just said, but it didn't sound very nice. Whatever it was what she'd said, it made Sonya chuckle and Olena frown. So I guess that was enough to convince me that I'd been right about my presumption.

I stepped aside to let them in and offered to help them with their luggage, but Olena declined, saying I didn't need to worry about that.

"So when will Dimka be home?" Olena inquired.

"I don't know," I answered, shrugging helplessly. "He said he'd come home as soon as possible."

"Oh, well, let's unpack in the meantime," she said as she started to go up the stairs with the luggage.

"About that…" I said awkwardly. "I don't know if Dimitri told you… But I'm staying in one of the bedrooms."

"What about us, then?" Sonya asked, frowning.

 _Yeah, that's what I told him, too_ , I thought.

"I don't mind sleeping on the couch so if you'd just give me some time to get my stuff out of the room-"

"Nonsense," Olena interrupted. "You can have the room. We'll make it work."

"But there's five of us," Sonya complained. "How are we going to make that work?" She groaned. "He should have bought a bigger house."

"Sonya," Olena chastised.

"Look, I really don't mind-"

Olena cut me off again. "I know you don't mind, Rose," she said gently, "but we'll wait until Dimka comes home and then we'll see what he says. I'm not going to throw you out of that room."

Sonya huffed. I glanced over at her and caught her glaring at me. I could already tell she didn't like me very much.

Most of the Belikovs decided to go to the beach as they waited for Dimitri to come home. Only Yeva stayed with me in the house. There was an awkward silence between us and I wished I could make some small talk with her, but she couldn't speak English and I obviously couldn't speak Russian so I guess that was off the table.

She was still staring at me as if I was some strange creature as she sat in the couch. I gulped and looked away from her. Why was she making me so nervous? What was her problem? Apparently Sonya wasn't the only one who disliked me.

After an hour or so, Viktoria came back inside the house.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" she asked cheerfully. I was hiding in the kitchen from Yeva, but I wasn't going to tell her that. "Why don't you come outside and enjoy the beautiful weather?"

"Oh, I don't want to interrupt," I said hastily.

Viktoria laughed. "You're not interrupting anything, Rose. And you don't have to be scared of us," she added, giving me a knowing look. I noted that her accent, just like her mother's, was a lot thicker than Dimitri's accent. "We are nice people. Didn't my brother tell you that?"

"He did," I admitted.

"Well then," she said, smiling brightly. Even her smile was the same as Dimitri's. "Please come outside and join us. We'd like to get to know you. Mama seems to know about you, but Dimitri has never mentioned you to me or my sisters. I wonder why he'd keep you a secret from us." She studied me for a moment. "Seeing as you're staying in one of the guest bedrooms I figure you're not his girlfriend, but you must be special seeing as he'd let you stay here all by yourself," she mused.

I blushed and looked away so she wouldn't notice. "W-we're friends."

"Close friends, then?" Viktoria inquired.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that."

"Hmm," she murmured. Changing the subject, she asked, "So how long have you been here?"

"A couple of weeks now," I answered. "It's pretty amazing out here."

It's a beautiful house, don't you think?" Then she grinned. "I helped Dimka choose."

I smiled. "He told me. You have good taste, Viktoria."

Her grin widened. "How long will you be staying?" Her eyes widened a little and she grabbed my hand, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that to come off as rude. I was just wondering… Because I think it'd be cool if you'd hang around for a few more weeks. This is the first time I'm meeting one of Dimitri's friends so I'm kind of eager to get to know you, especially because you're a girl," she rambled.

I chuckled. "It's okay. You weren't rude."

She sighed in relief. "Thank God!"

I laughed and she did as well. Viktoria was so nice. I liked her already. I could understand why Dimitri always talked so fondly of her.

A few minutes after Viktoria and I started talking, Dimitri entered the house. Despite feeling more at ease now, I was relieved he was back. His sister flew into his arms the moment he walked in and cried out, "I missed you so much, Dimka! It's so good to see you again."

Dimitri smiled broadly. "I'm glad you're here, Vika."

I watched him reunite with his family in silence. I don't think I'd ever seen Dimitri so happy. As he hugged his grandmother, the old woman finally cracked a smile. She started talking rapidly in Russian, her voice croaked, and then, suddenly, she pointed at me. All eyes turned on me and Dimitri laughed uncomfortably before responding to Yeva.

"What did she say?" I asked quietly when he walked over to me.

"Uh, nothing," he answered quickly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "You aren't a very good liar, comrade. She pointed right at me-"

"There seems to be a problem with the rooms."

Everyone turned to look at Sonya, who had her eyes trained on me. Dimitri frowned, confused for a moment. As he glanced at all the people in the room, realization hit him.

"Oh. I guess I forgot about that for a moment."

Sonya crossed her arms. "Apparently."

Vika laughed. "Next time you should buy an even bigger house, brother."

"I can sleep on the couch," I suggested immediately. "I don't mind."

"No, Roza. I'm not going to let you sleep on the couch," Dimitri protested.

"But-"

"Roza, no." He looked determined. "You're not sleeping on the couch."

"It's fine," I insisted. In a hushed voice so his family wouldn't hear, I continued, "I shouldn't even be here anymore, Dimitri. Not while your family is here…"

Dimitri shook his head at me. "They don't mind you being here."

 _Except that I think they do. Well, some of them._

"Besides, it's not up to them," he added.

"Then what are you going to do? Someone's got to sleep on the couch."

"I can't hear what you're discussing, but you two look like a married couple," Karolina noted, amused.

Both Dimitri and I blushed in embarrassment.

Clearing his throat, Dimitri said, "I'll sleep on the couch. You can take my room, Rose." I started to protest, but he cut me off. "There, problem solved."

"I still think it's unfair to you," I muttered unhappily and Dimitri cut me a look.

"Aww, aren't you two adorable!" Viktoria gushed.

Another blush crept onto my cheeks. I glanced over at Dimitri, who pointedly looked the other way.

"I'm going to go and move my things to Dimitri's room," I said hastily, wanting to escape from this awkward situation as soon as possible. "Then you guys can catch up and talk about…stuff." I waved awkwardly at the Belikovs, then Dimitri as I slowly retreated from the room. "So yeah, I'll leave you guys to it, then. Okay, bye."

I hurried upstairs to my room that was technically not my room anymore. I started piling my things into my suitcase and transported them to Dimitri's room. I didn't unpack yet, though. I'd wait until I'd talked to Dimitri in private about the new arrangements. I still didn't like the idea of taking his room.

I sat on his bed and waited, wondering when I could go back downstairs. I didn't want to interrupt any conversations between Dimitri and his family. I knew I'd just be in the way so it was better to stay up here.

After about twenty minutes, the door opened, startling me.

"What are you doing?" Dimitri asked as he walked inside.

I glanced around, trying to come up with something, but then shrugged. "Nothing, really."

"Why don't you come downstairs?"

"I don't want to interrupt anything," I murmured. "I mean, it's been so long since you have seen your family. I'm sure you guys have a lot to catch up on."

"That doesn't mean you have to hide here," Dimitri said. He closed the door and sat down next to me on the bed. "You're more than welcome to join us."

I forced a smile on my face. "Thanks for the offer, but I'd only be in the way."

Dimitri frowned. "That's not true, Roza." Slowly, he reached for my hand. I looked up at him. "I want you to be there," he said sincerely, his eyes on mine, unwavering.

My heartbeat picked up a little as I stared at him. He really wanted me to be there? His lips curved into a smile, making my insides melt.

"And," he added, "I'm pretty sure Vika wants to talk to you. She told me to ask you what's taking you so long."

That made me laugh. "I like her. She's kind." I looked at him again, my smile no longer forced. "She reminds me of you."

"Oh, I'm sure she'd love to hear that," Dimitri said dryly.

"I think she's very proud to be your sister," I said seriously. "As she should be. You're a great guy, Dimitri. And you have a good heart."

His smile turned shy. "Thanks, Roza," he said softly before glancing away.

I glanced away as well. Clearing my throat, I changed the subject and said, "So, about these sleeping arrangements."

Dimitri looked up. "Don't start again, Rose."

I looked at him defiantly, letting go of his hand. "I'm sorry, but I am going to start again. I can't let you sleep on the couch. It's your house, Dimitri!"

"I don't care," he said. "You're not sleeping on that couch. End of discussion."

I crossed my arms and scowled at him. "You're really frustrating."

He was scowling at me, too. "So are you."

We glared at each other for a few moments. At last, I looked away and sighed. "How about this? We both sleep here."

Dimitri looked at me, surprised.

"Don't give me that look," I said. "It's not like I'm still using your guestroom. I have been sleeping in your room for quite a while now, as you well know. So why does it have to change now? I can still sleep here. And so can you."

"I thought you wouldn't want that," Dimitri said carefully. "Now that my family is here…"

"I don't mind if you don't," I told him. I sure hoped his family wouldn't think I was a slut for sleeping in his bed, though.

"I don't mind," he answered.

"Alright then," I said, happy we'd come to an agreement. "We'll both sleep here."

Dimitri's smile returned. "So now that's settled are you coming downstairs? We're going out for dinner and my family would be delighted if you'd join us. And so would I."

He looked at me, hopeful. I believed he wanted me there, but I wasn't too sure about his family. Vika seemed to like me and I think Olena did as well, but what about the others? Still, I'd come along if Dimitri really wanted me to. From the way he was looking at me, I'd say he really did want me to come.

"Sure," I replied, hoping I came across as casual. "Why not?"

* * *

 _So, the Belikovs are in town... How do you like them so far? What do you think about the sleeping arrangements? ;)_

 _Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Have a nice weekend! :)_


	23. Chapter 23

_Thank you so much for your reviews! I'm sorry it took so long to update, but I'm having trouble with Word and I have no idea what to do about it. It keeps crashing. Anyway, I'll figure it out :D_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 23**

 **RPOV – JULY 31, 2015**

As I had dinner with the entire Belikov family, I came to the realization that, despite being apart most of the time, Dimitri was really close to them. I wondered how he was able to maintain such a great relationship with his family when he was so far away from them most of the year. And maybe…maybe I envied him a little for that.

My parents were pretty much never around because they were always traveling and making the most of their lives. We'd never been that close. I guess that that was one of the reasons why I'd neglected to tell them about Adrian's death. I realized, though, that time was ticking and that I'd have to inform them sooner or later. I preferred to do it later.

"So, Rose, how'd you meet my brother?" Viktoria asked, startling me.

I blinked a couple of times. "Umm…"

I glanced over at Dimitri, uncertain. I wasn't really looking forward to talk about Adrian, which I would have to do if I wanted to be honest. But it would most likely kill the mood and ruin a perfect evening. Yes, even though I'd had my doubts about coming along to this dinner, it had turned out very well.

I'd gotten to know the Belikov family a little bit better and they'd been very welcoming to me when Dimitri had told them I would join them for dinner. With the exception of Sonya and Yeva. They hadn't warmed up to me yet. I hoped both of them would accept me eventually.

Dimitri's eyes turned away from me and he cleared his throat. "It's getting late," he said, glancing down at his watch. "You're probably tired from traveling so maybe we should go home so you can rest."

"I'm not tired yet," Viktoria prompted.

Olena glanced over at Yeva, who'd fallen silent halfway during the dinner. "I think some rest would be good."

"Alright, I'll pay the check and then we'll go home," Dimitri said.

Because not all of us could fit in one car we'd come with two and Dimitri had allowed me to drive his convertible Tesla. I kind of was looking forward to drive it again. Before tonight, I'd never sat in such a fancy, comfortable car before, let alone drive it.

It was just me and Viktoria in the car; the others had gone with Dimitri. Viktoria chattered the entire drive back to Dimitri's house. I listened, an amused smile tugging at the corners of my lips. What a nice girl. Even though I'd only known her for just a day, I knew that we would get along just fine.

"You never answered my question," Viktoria said suddenly.

"Hmm?" I said distractedly as I focused on the road.

"You haven't told me yet how you met my brother," she clarified.

 _Oh._

Viktoria looked at me curiously, waiting for a response. My hands started sweating as I gripped the steering wheel tightly.

"We met through a mutual friend," I answered evasively.

Luckily, she seemed satisfied with my answer. Before she could ask more, I changed the subject and asked teasingly, "So do you have a special someone waiting for you in Baia?"

She chuckled. "I'm afraid not."

"Oh?"

"I just broke up with my boyfriend."

For the first time tonight, she didn't smile and I felt terrible for asking that question.

"I'm sorry."

Viktoria waved away my apology. "No, it's okay. He wasn't right for me so it's better this way."

I nodded. The rest of the drive was quiet and I couldn't help but feel that it was my fault. Thankfully, we arrived just a few moments later.

I parked the car and followed Viktoria inside the house. She wished me goodnight and went upstairs to unpack the rest of her stuff. After a lot of discussion between the three sisters, Viktoria had gotten my room. Sonya and Karolina had to bunk together, same for Olena and Yeva. Viktoria was the only one lucky enough to have a bedroom for herself.

Everyone retired to their rooms, except for Dimitri and me.

"Thanks for the invite," I said as I leaned back against the kitchen countertop. "I had fun."

Dimitri smiled. "You're welcome."

"You have a great family," I told him. I decided not to tell him that I thought Sonya and Yeva didn't seem to like me very much. Suddenly, I remembered something that had happened earlier today. "So what did your grandmother say about me anyway?"

Dimitri looked at me, confused.

"Earlier today. When you came home," I explained. "She said something in Russian while pointing at me."

Dimitri's smile disappeared and he glanced away from me. "Oh, that."

Now I was even more curious. "So, what did she say?"

He looked at me again and sighed. "Promise you won't get mad."

Okay. Now I was worried. After a moment of hesitation, I said, "Fine. I promise."

"She asked if you were the maid," Dimitri said in a rushed voice.

"T-the maid?" I spluttered, outraged.

"She was only asking," Dimitri said, eyeing me carefully. "How could she know you're my friend?"

Well, I suppose he was right about that. Maybe he never told his grandmother about me, but he sure did tell his mom something about me. How else could she have known who I was?

"Your mom knew who I was," I said after a few moments. Looking up at him, I asked, "You told her about me?"

Dimitri shrugged, avoiding my gaze. "Yeah."

I was curious again. "What did you tell her? I hope nothing bad," I added jokingly.

He glanced up at me and gave me a small smile. "Don't worry, it was all good."

I sensed that he didn't really want to talk about this so I let it go. Instead I said in a teasing voice, "Such a big house that you have and still there's not enough space for your family. Viktoria should have made you buy an even bigger house." Dimitri frowned. "Just kidding," I added quickly. "Your house is perfect."

Dimitri chuckled. "Usually there's room enough. It's a first that everyone is here at the same time. Usually, Karolina stays behind because of work and to take care of my grandmother. She managed to take some time off this summer so she could come along and so my grandmother had to come as well."

"She doesn't like it here?" I asked.

"She's not a huge fan of traveling," Dimitri answered.

"Well, for someone her age that's understandable, I guess," I muttered.

He nodded. "I'm going to take a shower," he said as he started for the door. "I'll see you in a bit."

"Okay."

I had to wait in line to brush my teeth. When it was just Dimitri and me, each of us had their own bathroom. But now we were with a lot more again and I wasn't used to it anymore. When Sonya walked out of the bathroom, it was finally my turn.

"Someone should tell Dimka there aren't enough bathrooms for all of us," she said dryly. I couldn't tell if she was joking or not.

But Viktoria laughed and punched her playfully in the arm. "Why don't _you_ tell him, Sonya?"

Laughing quietly, they went to their rooms.

After I'd changed into a tank top and shorts, I brushed my teeth and went upstairs. Dimitri was already in his bedroom when I walked inside. I crawled into bed and lay down next to him.

"You sure about this?" I asked. "I can still sleep on the couch…"

Dimitri glanced over at me, annoyed.

I grinned at him. "Joking, comrade."

He cracked a smile. "I'm kind of getting used to having you here now. I wouldn't want anything or anyone to change that."

"I hope your family won't think it's weird," I said.

Not that they knew. _Yet._ But what if they did know that we slept in the same bed? Would they think we were more than friends? _But aren't you, Rose? Aren't you more than friends?_

We hadn't kissed since that one night on the couch, but there had definitely been moments between us. And the fact that I was sleeping here, in his bed, with him beside me… Well, that wasn't really something what friends usually do, right?

"They don't have to know."

"Seeing we're all sleeping under the same roof, they're going to find out sooner or later," I said.

Dimitri shrugged. "Even if they do find out, it's none of their business."

"Do you really feel like that or are you just saying that to please me?" I asked.

He groaned. "God, Rose."

He sounded annoyed and I thought I might have gone too far, but then he smiled. "You're lucky I like having you here or I might have kicked you out by now and let you sleep on the couch so I wouldn't have to answer all these ridiculous questions," he said jokingly.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I just want your family to like me, that's all. Maybe they'll think I'm a slut or something for sleeping in your bed when we're not even together-"

"Don't worry, Roza," Dimitri said, waving away my worries. "They'll probably think it's an American thing for friends to sleep together in one bed."

I sighed. "Fine."

Dimitri flicked the lights out and I moved closer to him. His arms wrapped around me and I rested my head against his chest before closing my eyes.

"Night, comrade," I murmured.

"Good night, Roza," he whispered back.

I felt him kiss my hair and I smiled. But my smile disappeared quickly when that same question popped up in my head again. _Aren't we more than friends?_

Cuddling with him in bed was another thing that friends didn't do. I had to come to the conclusion that we were no longer acting like we were just friends. I didn't know when exactly that changed, but it did. And I had to admit that I liked it. Very much.

 **DPOV – AUGUST 1, 2015**

Rose was still fast asleep when I woke up. She was wrapped up in my arms, making it difficult to get out of bed without waking her up. Carefully, I pulled my arm out from under her neck. When I'd successfully disentangled myself from Rose without waking her, I got dressed quietly and left the room.

I expected to be the first one up and about, seeing as it was only six in the morning, but when I entered the kitchen my mother was already busying herself with breakfast.

"Good morning, Dimka," she said smiling. "Did you sleep alright?"

By the way she was looking at me I knew she knew I hadn't slept on the couch. There was no point in making excuses now. I looked away, avoiding her gaze. Why did she have to get up so early?

"It's not what you think, Mama," I said quickly.

She raised an eyebrow at me. "Oh? What am I thinking, Dimka?"

I furrowed my brows and sat down at the table.

"Why didn't you tell me you and Rose got together?" she asked when I didn't say anything.

I shook my head. "We're not together. We're just friends."

"Friends who happen to sleep in the same bed?" she inquired.

"Yes," I said with a straight face. "It's an American thing."

Mother gave me a pointed look. "Don't lie, Dimka. I know you better than that."

I sighed. "We're not together, I swear."

She was the only one I'd ever told about Rose and my feelings for her. My sisters hadn't known about Rose's existence until yesterday, but my mother knew pretty much everything there was to know.

"But you still love her, don't you?" she asked, studying my face.

I nodded. "I do."

She smiled. "I think she loves you too."

I stared at her, incredulous. "She just lost her fiancé."

"I know," she said, "but you told me they never had a great relationship."

I shrugged. "That's my opinion. Maybe Rose thinks differently about it."

"But she had feelings for you when she was with Adrian. So why not now? You two have become close again, right?"

"Right," I said, "but not the way you're thinking."

"It can still happen," she said with a shrug. "Just have patience."

I looked at her, contemplating if I should tell her. "Rose and I…we kind of talked about that," I started, a little hesitant. "About the possibility of, you know, _more_."

"And?"

I shrugged again. "I don't know. She admitted to having feelings for me in the past, when she was with Adrian. She also told me those feelings have resurfaced since I came back for the funeral, but she feels guilty. Which is understandable," I added. "I mean, I feel guilty as well for loving my best friend's fiancée."

"Yet she sleeps in your bed," Mama said. "So I'm guessing her feelings for you are stronger than her guilt."

"I – I don't know," I stammered, confused now.

I had to admit that a few things had changed since we'd had that talk. Like how she'd let me hold her at night and how she'd kiss my cheek when I left for work… I realized now we'd become a lot closer.

"Sometimes…sometimes it's going really well and I feel like we're making progress , but then there are days when she's so sad and she'll hide in the bathroom and cry and there's nothing I can do to comfort her because I know she's crying because of Adrian and I'm afraid I'll only make it worse for her," I rambled. Thankfully, that didn't happen often. The last time it happened was on the one month anniversary of Adrian's death.

"Isn't that normal?" she said gently. "He only passed away recently. You're still grieving as well."

I nodded. "Yeah, of course. But I'm scared that I'll screw it up somehow."

"Why do you think that?"

"Maybe I'm not taking things slow enough," I said.

"Don't you think she'd tell you if that were the case?"

I considered that for a moment. "I guess so," I said after a pause.

"Then why are you worrying so much? It'll all work out, Dimka. You'll see."

I bit my lip. "I did something stupid," I admitted.

Mama eyed me up and down. "What do you mean?" she asked cautiously.

I looked down, ashamed. "I lied to Rose."

"Lied about what?"

"Adrian," I said quietly. "When she asked me if I knew Adrian was cheating on her, I lied."

Mama asked me to explain so I did. I told her about that night Rose came to my hotel room, desperate for answers after she'd found a phone number in Adrian's pocket.

"But you didn't know about her," Mama countered after I finished the story. "You didn't know Adrian was cheating on Rose with that woman."

"Not that one, but I knew about the other ones," I muttered. "Before I left." I buried my face in my hands. "I think I made a huge mistake, Mama. I should have told Rose anyway, even if it was my best friend asking me to keep quiet. I shouldn't have run off like a coward."

"You did what you thought was the right thing to do," Mama said, trying to comfort me.

"But that's the problem. I didn't do the right thing," I told her. "I should have stayed and told Rose the truth. We might have been in a bad place back then, but I should have told her."

"Then why didn't you?" Mama asked.

"I was pissed. I was pissed that Adrian was getting the girl that I loved, that she'd said yes to him despite all the times he'd hurt her. And after what happened between us, I didn't think Rose would believe a word I'd say anyway. She probably would have thought I was trying to get back at Adrian or something."

"I've only met Rose yesterday, but you've told me so much about her that I feel like I know her," my mother said softly. "You were more reliable than Adrian ever was so why would she have trusted him over you?"

"Well, she picked him too when I practically asked her to choose," I said begrudgingly.

"You put her on the spot," Mama said calmly, "and I'm sure she was scared of what changes it would cause – for both of you – if she would have chosen you."

I sighed. "Yeah, I know I handled the situation the wrong way. I don't want to make that mistake again, but I fear it's already too late for that and I don't know what to do about it. Should I tell her? Should I keep it a secret? What if she finds out?"

"If you really want to make this work with Rose, you should tell her," she answered. "A relationship is built on trust. If there's no trust…"

"Then it's doomed to fail," I muttered darkly.

"But that doesn't mean you should just blurt out the truth," Mama added hastily. "You should wait for the right moment."

"When is the right moment?"

In the distance, I heard a door close and then footsteps coming our way.

"That's for you to figure out," my mother told me right before Sonya walked into the kitchen.

"Good morning," she said smiling as she sat down across from me and grabbed a bagel.

She seemed to be in a better mood this morning, for which I was glad. I didn't know why, but she'd been a little ticked off yesterday. Perhaps it had been the jetlag.

"Good morning, Sonya," I responded. "You're up early."

She grinned at me. "So are you."

"Well, I have to go to work."

She frowned. "I thought you'd be spending time with us, Dimka."

"I'll be back in a couple of hours," I promised, getting up and starting for the door.

"You really should eat something before you leave," Mama called after me.

"I'm not hungry," I called back. "See you guys later."

This was the first morning in a long time that I was leaving for work without Rose seeing me off. It was weird and I didn't like the feeling. I realized that if I didn't tell Rose the truth soon I would have to get used to this again. I would have to get used again to the kind of life without her.

* * *

 _Yay! Rose and Dimitri are becoming closer and closer. I always love writing this part, when they're close to getting together :P Anyway, I hope you liked the chapter. Have a great weekend! :)  
_


	24. Chapter 24

_Thank you for the reviews! I'm starting my internship on Monday. Right after that is finished (next month) I have my exams so it's going to be a busy few weeks for me. I'll try to update next week, but I can't make any promises. Hope you can understand :)_

 _ **Disclaimer: ** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 24**

 **RPOV – AUGUST 5, 2015**

Seeing Dimitri with his family kind of made me feel jealous. I knew that I was being silly, but I couldn't help but feel like I was missing out on something in my life. I'd never been close to my parents and I hadn't really minded. That is, until now.

My parents were traveling around the world most of the time and I only got to see them once or twice a year. Even as a kid, I didn't get to see them often. Back then, it was because they were working so much. Lissa had been my family. She still was my family.

But now I caught myself wishing that I was as close to my family as Dimitri was with his. I hadn't even told my parents yet about Adrian. Not because I thought they wouldn't care, but because... Well, honestly I didn't know why I hadn't told them yet. I guess I didn't want to ruin their vacation. I didn't want them to worry about me.

I had to admit, though, that the wish to talk to them, to tell them what had happened, was growing stronger by the day.

"Hey, what are you doing out here all alone?"

Startled, I looked up. Viktoria stood before me, a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. I hadn't noticed her come back inside.

"Oh, Viktoria! It's you."

"You know you can call me Vika," she replied.

I nodded. "Right."

"So…what are you doing here on your own?" she asked again.

"I just got out of the shower," I responded.

"Why don't you come outside and sit with us?" Viktoria suggested.

I didn't really want to intrude on their family time, but then Dimitri turned his head and looked at me through the window and smiled before waving me over. So I followed Viktoria out onto the deck and sat down next to her and Dimitri.

"Hey," Dimitri whispered, bumping his shoulder against mine.

I smiled at him. "Hi."

"Where have you been all night?" he asked softly.

"Shower," I murmured back.

He arched an eyebrow at me. "The whole time?"

Before I could reply, Olena handed me a glass of wine. "It's so good of you to join us, Rose. We don't see you enough."

I didn't know why I was so shy around them. It wasn't like me. I just wanted them to have a good impression of me.

"So Rose, you haven't really told us much about yourself," Viktoria said, cheerful as ever. "And Dimitri isn't exactly big on sharing either."

"Vika," Dimitri warned, giving her a pointed look. Then he glanced over at me. "You don't have to tell them anything if you don't want to."

"What? I'm just curious about your friend," she said, teasing.

"Ask away," I told Viktoria. Dimitri started to protest, but I gave him a reassuring smile. "It's fine, comrade."

It turned out that she had a lot of questions for me, but thankfully there weren't any questions asked about Dimitri and me. She didn't even ask if I had a boyfriend back home, for which I was more than grateful. It would have been very awkward to explain my situation if she'd asked. Not only for me, but for Dimitri as well.

"I have a question for you," Sonya suddenly said. She'd been eyeing me all night, a cautious look on her face. While she hadn't been hostile towards me the past week, I could sense she still didn't like me.

"Um, okay," I said hesitantly.

Her mouth was a thin line as she stared at me. "Why are you keeping your relationship with my brother a secret? Is that your idea?"

I was rendered speechless. "I – what?"

Karolina gasped, shocked. Viktoria had the same look on her face, but Sonya looked smug. Yeva looked mostly bored and Dimitri looked like he was in pain.

Olena was the first one who spoke. "Sonya, that was rude. Apologize immediately," she said sternly.

"Mama, I know they're sleeping together," Sonya said. "I'm just wondering why they're keeping it a secret. So, Rose, my question is…was it your idea?"

"W-we're not – we aren't-"

"We're not sleeping together," Dimitri interrupted me. He sounded calm, but I could see he was anything but calm.

Sonya scowled at him. "Don't lie, Dimka. I know you haven't been sleeping on the couch." I felt my cheeks redden in embarrassment as Sonya looked at me again. "And neither have you."

"Oh my God!" Viktoria squealed, clasping a hand over her mouth.

"What? You thought no one was going to find out?" Sonya asked in disbelief. "If you really wanted to keep it a secret, you should have at least tried a little harder."

Both Dimitri and I were silent.

"I noticed a few nights ago when I went downstairs for a snack," Sonya continued. "You weren't on the couch. When I went back upstairs, I passed your room and heard you two talking and laughing."

I tried not to scowl. It sounded like she'd been eavesdropping on us. I tried to remember what we'd been talking about a few nights ago, but it hadn't been about anything important. I had been unable to fall asleep that night and I'd kept Dimitri up and we'd talked until the early hours.

"When I came downstairs the next night, you were once again not sleeping on the couch," Sonya finished. "So it wasn't hard to imagine where you were."

Dimitri was glaring at his sister. "What the hell, Sonya?!"

She shrugged unapologetically. "What? I'm just wondering why you're keeping it a secret, that's all."

"Oh my God," Viktoria said again, grinning now. "Why didn't you guys tell us that you two are together?" She squealed again. "Oh, I knew it! I knew you two-"

"We're not together," Dimitri interrupted.

Viktoria frowned. "You don't have to lie anymore, Dimka."

Dimitri groaned. "I'm not lying."

"Oh, I see. It's casual," Viktoria said. "That's why you didn't tell." She smiled. "I bet it's more than casual, though. Even if you two aren't ready to admit it, I can see it's more than-"

"That's enough," Olena cut her off. "It's none of our business, okay? So let's stop talking about it."

I looked at her in surprise. Why was she defending us? Wasn't she wondering the same thing as her daughters? Didn't she want to know the truth? But then I remembered that Dimitri had already told her about me, before I'd met her. Maybe she already knew everything there was to know…

Sonya huffed and I could feel the tension in the air as she glared at Dimitri and me. I should have never come outside, then this wouldn't have happened.

Clearing my throat, I said, "I should go back inside."

"Roza," Dimitri started, surprised. "You don't have to leave-"

"No, it's fine. I'm tired so I think I'll be going to bed."

Sonya snorted, earning another glare from Dimitri. I started to get up. When I was on my feet, I heard a clang as something fell on the ground. Turning around, I looked down and saw my engagement ring lying there, on the deck. _Shit._

Before I could pick it up, Viktoria exclaimed, "Is that _your_ ring?" Then she gasped. "It looks like an engagement ring!" She looked at me, then at Dimitri. "Are you two…?"

I stood there, flustered and unable to form a response. I wanted to die of embarrassment.

"Why would you keep that a secret?" Viktoria asked, a little indignant. "Why would you keep any of it a secret?"

"For the last time, we're not together," Dimitri said, sounding really annoyed right now. "And we're definitely not engaged."

"But that ring-"

"We're just friends!"

I would have expected Sonya to join the discussion, but she was silent as she stared at me, her arms crossed. I knew she was thinking she'd been right all along.

I cleared my throat again. "It's not what you think," I said loudly, interrupting Viktoria's and Dimitri's bickering.

Everyone looked at me. Even Yeva, who probably didn't understand what the hell was going on, gave me a curious look.

Taking a deep breath, I said, "This is indeed an engagement ring, but Dimitri didn't give it to me." They were all staring at me in confusion, except for Olena. Now I was sure she already knew the truth. I suppressed a sigh and continued, "I lost my fiancé a little over a month ago."

Viktoria frowned, still confused. "What do you mean? You lost your fiancé…"

"He died," I answered. I realized this was the first time I was able to speak about Adrian without tears in my eyes.

She gasped, clasping her hand over her mouth. "Rose, I'm so sorry-"

Dimitri got up. "Roza, you don't have to do this. You don't have to explain-"

"No, it's fine, Dimitri," I told him. He looked hesitant. "Really," I said reassuringly. I turned to look at his family again. "I wasn't doing very well after Adrian's death and Dimitri has been so kind to help me out."

Sonya raised an eyebrow at me. "By sleeping with you?"

I ignored her comment. "Dimitri's been having a hard time as well after losing his best friend, but that didn't stop him from being there for me when I needed him the most. And I can't thank him enough for it. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have gotten through it."

They were all staring at me, speechless.

I blew out a breath, relieved that it was over. "I'm going to bed now. Have a good night."

Turning around, I almost ran inside. I didn't want to hear their opinions on what I'd just told them. I especially didn't want to hear Sonya's opinion. And, honestly, I just wanted to be alone for a while.

I didn't get the chance to be alone, though, because five minutes after I'd left the Belikovs on the deck, Dimitri was knocking on his own bedroom door, asking if he could come inside. Even though I'd wanted to be alone, I didn't mind Dimitri's company.

"Come in," I told him.

"Hey," he said softly, closing the door behind him. "Are you okay?"

I gave him a small, reassuring smile. "I'm fine."

He looked unsure. "Are you just saying that so I wouldn't worry?"

My smile grew wider. "No, I mean it."

"I'm sorry," he murmured, sitting down beside me on the bed, a cautious look on his face. "My family can be very nosy and-"

"No, I am sorry," I said. "I'm sorry about what happened."

"What are you apologizing for? You didn't do anything wrong," Dimitri said.

"Neither did you," I shot back.

"But-"

"You don't have to apologize, comrade," I interrupted him gently. "I told you, it's fine."

Dimitri was still uncertain.

"They were going to find out the truth sooner or later," I said with a shrug.

"Do you mean the truth about us sleeping in the same room or the truth about…Adrian?" he asked hesitantly.

"Both."

Dimitri looked down at the engagement ring I was holding in my hand. I sighed and put it away in my jewelry box, out of my sight.

"I don't even know why I still carry it in my pocket," I muttered. I wasn't going to anymore, though, because it turned a lovely evening into a disastrous one. And I knew that, despite him trying his best not to show it, it was hurting Dimitri. The last thing I wanted was to hurt Dimitri.

"Roza…" Dimitri said quietly. "You know why."

I felt his gaze on me so I looked up at him. "No, I don't. I'm starting to feel like I don't have a reason to keep it with me anymore." Glancing away, I said, "I should probably give it to Adrian's mother. She'd be very happy to have it."

"Do you really want to do that? Or are you upset because of what happened just now?" Dimitri asked.

"I'm not upset."

We were both quiet for a long time. I pondered if I should broach the subject I'd been wanting to talk about. If I did, it would change a lot of things. Or it might not change a thing at all, depending on Dimitri's reaction.

"Did you mean that?" I asked quietly. "When you told your family we're just friends? Aren't we…" I hesitated. "Aren't we more than friends? Not even a little?"

Dimitri blinked in surprise. I guess he hadn't expected me to bring this conversation up again. The last time we'd talked about the possibility of more was that day on the beach when I'd confessed my true feelings for him.

"I – I…" Dimitri shook his head and closed his mouth, then opened it to speak again, but was unable to. He stared at me, speechless.

"I mean, I usually don't sleep in Eddie's bed," I said dryly. "Or Mason's. I also don't kiss them goodbye when they go off to work." I had to force myself to keep looking at his face as I said the next thing, in a more serious tone again. "My heartbeat doesn't pick up speed when I see either of them. But when I see you…"

Dimitri was still staring at me, his eyes wide. He swallowed heavily.

"We've talked about it before, but I…" I took a deep breath. "I feel like I'm finally ready for more."

"Y-you do?" Dimitri stammered at last.

"Yeah," I said softly. "I'm sorry if I caught you off guard with this when you obviously have other things on your mind now that your family is here, but I… I've been thinking hard on this the past couple of days and I…I guess I just wanted to let you know."

Dimitri looked at me in wonder. I felt myself blushing and wondered if I should not have told him yet. Maybe I should have waited until after his family had left. Although…his family was already convinced there was something going on between us.

And to be honest, I would probably have not been able to wait so long. Because…every day it got harder and harder not to kiss Dimitri when he entered the room and every day I missed him more and more when he went off to work. And when I slept next to him in bed, I sometimes had to stop myself from wrapping myself around him and never letting go of him.

"I really want to kiss you right now," Dimitri said finally, glancing down at my lips.

I bit down on my lip, trying to hide my smile. "You can."

Slowly, I leaned forward as Dimitri did the same. My heart hammered in my chest as I looked at him. Why was I so nervous? This wasn't the first time I'd kiss Dimitri after all.

Dimitri reached out his hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. His hand rested on my cheek and I closed my eyes, relishing in his touch. When his lips brushed against mine, butterflies exploded in my stomach. I felt like a teenager who'd just had her first kiss. Why did everything feel so amazing with Dimitri? If his kisses were already making me feel like this, I wondered what the sex would be like…

Dimitri pulled me closer as he kissed me with fervor. He bit down on my lower lip and I let out a soft moan. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I opened my mouth to grant him entrance and our tongues entwined. I never wanted this kiss to end. I wanted to stay here in his arms forever. And I would have, if not for that knock on the door.

We pulled away from each other, breathless, when the knocking became more urgent. Dimitri glanced over my shoulder at the door, unsure whether to open it or not.

"It's Vika," a voice on the other side of the door said. "Can I please come inside?" When neither of us answered right away, she continued, "Look, I know Dimitri's in there too, but I'm not here to judge. I just want to talk to you, Rose. Please."

Dimitri looked back at me. "It's your choice."

I actually wanted Dimitri's lips on mine again rather than talk to Viktoria. But she sounded desperate to talk to me. I wondered why.

"If I don't get an answer in ten seconds, I'm just going to walk in," Viktoria warned. "I don't care if-"

"We can talk," I called. "Just give me a second." I looked at Dimitri. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay. We'll talk later, Roza," he said, squeezing my hand.

My eyes fell to his lips again and I bit down on my lower lip as I tried to stop myself from kissing him again. With great reluctance, I scooted away from him.

"Okay."

Dimitri started for the door. He exchanged a look with his sister when he opened the door. Viktoria slipped inside the room and pretty much closed the door in Dimitri's face, who'd been looking at me longingly. I was pretty sure I had the same look on my face, but I tried to hide it from Viktoria as best as I could. I had the feeling she was onto me, though.

"Hey," she said softly.

"Hi," I responded, avoiding eye contact. I was scared to see the look on her face.

Gingerly, she sat down next to me on the bed. "So… Mama explained us about…you know," she started, somewhat awkward. "I'm really sorry."

Carefully, I glanced up at her. "Thanks," I responded, my voice soft and quiet. "But I'm okay now."

"Thanks to Dimka?" Viktoria asked hesitantly.

I smiled a little. "Yeah."

"He never mentioned any of it to us," she said after a few moments. "We all knew about his best friend…Adrian….and that he'd passed away. But we never knew about you because he never mentioned you before. Except for Mama," she added with a small frown. "She knew who you were when we showed up here." Clearing her throat, she said, "Anyway… I thought you and Dimitri…well, we all thought there was something more going on than the two of you were letting on. Although he tries to hide it, I know my brother loves you and I thought you loved him too, but now…" She paused.

"Now that you've found out that I was engaged to his best friend, you're wondering if I'm just using him?" I finished her sentence.

She looked almost ashamed. "I like you, Rose, but I'm looking out for my brother. I don't want him to get hurt."

"I don't blame you, Viktoria," I told her. "It's nice that you want to look out for your brother."

"So?" she asked. "Are you…using him?"

"You're right," I said. Her eyes widened and I added quickly, "I meant, you're right that I do have feelings for your brother. A lot of feelings."

She blew out a breath. "Oh."

"I have feelings for him now, just like I used to have feelings for him when I was together with Adrian," I confessed.

"You did?" she asked, her eyes still wide.

"Yes."

"Then why'd you get engaged to Adrian?" she asked, confused.

"Because everything with him was comfortable and familiar," I answered. I didn't know why I was confiding in Viktoria. I did know, however, that I didn't want her to think I was using her brother. "I'd been together with him for so long and it felt like it was the right thing to do, you know, to take the next step. I was also afraid I'd ruin their friendship if I pursued my feelings for Dimitri. And that was the last thing I wanted to do. Ruin their friendship, I mean." I sighed. "But I think I ruined their friendship way before the engagement. I think I ruined it when I entered their lives."

Viktoria frowned. "Don't be so hard on yourself, Rose."

I let out a sigh.

"Look, I don't know the whole story, but like I said… I'm not here to judge," Viktoria said gently. "So if you wanna tell me, go ahead. I you don't want to, then that's fine too. Just know that I'm here for you."

I had tears in my eyes as I looked up at her. I gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks, Vika. That means a lot to me."

* * *

 _Yay, Rose and Dimitri kissed. Now the fun part can finally begin ;) I hope you liked the chapter. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts. Have a wonderful weekend! :)_


	25. Chapter 25

_Thank you for the reviews. I'm sorry it took so long to update. I was going to do it last week, but something's up with Fanfiction. It wouldn't allow me to upload my chapter because "the format isn't right". It's strange because I've been using the same format for years. No idea what's going on, but I found another way to upload it, Thank God. Anyway here's the new chapter._

 _ **Disclaimer: ** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 25**

 **DPOV – AUGUST 6, 2015**

It was a little past midnight and Vika still hadn't come downstairs. Neither had Rose. I figured they were still talking. But how much longer was it going to take?

Blowing out a breath, I sat on the couch, anxious. Why did Vika have to interrupt us just when there was finally something happening? It had taken all of me to leave Rose's side so she and my sister could talk. What the hell were they talking about anyway? Why was it taking so long? I hoped Rose hadn't changed her mind.

"My, my, this is a first."

I looked up and saw Sonya standing a few feet away from me, a smirk on her face.

"It seems like you're actually going to sleep on the couch tonight."

I sighed. "Sonya, not now please."

"What?" she asked, playing stupid.

I glared at her. "You know what. I think you've caused enough trouble for one night so please give it a rest."

She frowned. "Don't be mad at me, Dimka."

"Why not? You embarrassed Rose."

"I didn't embarrass her. I just asked her a simple question."

I snorted. "It wasn't any of your business."

She looked at me, hurt. "I'm your sister. She's taking advantage of you and I wanted to look out for you."

"I can take care of myself," I told her.

She shrugged. "Fine then. I apologize."

She started to turn away.

"Rose isn't taking advantage of me."

Sonya stopped. Slowly, she turned back around, a questioning look on her face.

"She isn't," I vowed.

She sighed. "Well, you know her better than I do."

"I know you don't like Rose," I said. She started to protest and I shook my head at her. "Please, don't think I haven't noticed."

She shut her mouth and crossed her arms.

"Just try to be nice to her, okay?" I pleaded. "I love this girl and I want it to work out with her. Please don't make it harder than it already is."

"Has she told you she loves you?" Sonya asked.

I hesitated. "Not with those words, no."

She pursed her lips. "Then how do you know she's not using you?"

"I just know, okay? We have a lot of history," I said.

"She has a lot of history with Adrian, too," Sonya countered. " _Your_ best friend."

I scowled at her and she held up her hands in surrender.

"Fine," she said. "I'll trust you on this one."

"So you're going to be nice to her from now on?" I asked.

"I can't make any promises, but…" She gave me a tiny smile. "I'll try."

I was relieved. "Thanks, Sonya."

She just nodded, then started to leave. "Good night, Dimka."

I wanted to follow her upstairs and see if Rose and Vika were still talking, but I stayed put. Rose would surely come looking for me after Vika had left. Right?

Another hour passed and I was sure I would never fall asleep on the couch while I was this anxious, but eventually I did. The sunlight streaming through the windows woke me up in the morning. I sat up and blinked a couple of times, confused as to where I was, but then I remembered I'd fallen asleep on the couch.

Why hadn't Rose come looking for me?

"Hi."

Startled, I looked up and saw Rose leaning against the far wall with two coffee mugs in her hands. She smiled and walked over to me. Putting the mugs down on the coffee table, she sat down on the floor next to me.

"Hi," I said, still a little confused.

"When I came downstairs last night, you were already asleep. It was very late and I didn't want to wake you up."

I looked down at the blanket in my lap. "You gave me this?"

She nodded, smirking. "I didn't want you to get cold."

I frowned. "I wish you'd woken me up."

Her gaze was unwavering. "Me too."

I sat up straighter, swallowing past the lump in my throat, and she smiled again. Breaking her gaze away from mine, she handed me one of the coffee mugs.

"Careful. It's hot."

"So how long have you been standing here?" I asked curiously, taking a sip of coffee. It was indeed hot.

Her smile widened as she picked up her own mug. "Quite a while." Clearing her throat, she changed the subject. "Dimitri, about last night…"

My heart almost stopped. _Oh no. She changed her mind._ I dreaded to hear her next words.

"I meant what I said," she told me, sincerity clear in her eyes. "Every word of it."

I was surprised. And so, so relieved. _She wants us to be more than friends._

"Roza…" It was all I managed to get out. She'd rendered me speechless.

Rose bit her lip, hesitating. Suddenly, she leaned up and pressed her lips against mine. Even though I was caught off guard, I responded to her kiss immediately. I wanted to pull her closer to me, but I was holding that damn coffee mug.

At last, Rose pulled away and leaned back. She licked her lips and smiled playfully. "You taste like coffee. I like it."

Oh, the things she was doing to me…

"Roza," I said, my voice low and playful.

She giggled. I didn't hear that sound coming from her lips very often. I had to admit I liked it.

I smiled broadly, feeling very, very happy.

Rose set down her mug again. "Can I join you?"

"Sure," I said, once again surprised.

She got up and I scooted over so she could sit down next to me. She crawled under the blanket and leaned her head against my shoulder, sighing.

"This is nice," Rose murmured.

I hesitated for a moment, but wrapped my arm around her anyway. She didn't seem to mind. "It is."

 _Very nice._

We sat in a comfortable silence for a few moments. My heart was still beating like crazy. I could hardly believe that this was really happening.

"Do you have to work today?" Rose asked, breaking the silence.

"I guess I could reschedule," I said slowly.

She shook her head. "No, you should go. You already took time off for me when I arrived here."

"I don't mind," I said quickly.

"Your clients will," Rose countered.

I sighed. "I guess you're right. I should probably go." I looked down at her. "But just so you know, I'd rather spend all my time with you."

Rose smiled widely. "I know." Her smile turned into a pout. "I'll miss you."

I grinned, feeling very pleased with myself. I really liked this change. I started to lean in to kiss her, but then I heard someone shuffling into the room. I glanced up and noticed my grandmother peering at us. Her eyes met mine and she gave me a knowing look before turning towards the kitchen.

I cleared my throat and looked back at Rose. "I should get ready. I'll see you later, right?" I added, hopeful.

She gave me a meaningful smile. "Of course, comrade."

Reluctantly, I headed upstairs to get ready for work. Half of the time I didn't know what I was doing because I was daydreaming about Roza, about her kissing me… When I came back downstairs, she was having breakfast with my grandmother, who eyed me carefully when I entered. Then she smiled.

"Have a nice day," she said in Russian. Glancing at Rose, she added, "Though I'm pretty sure it already started out nice."

Rose glanced at us, a confused look on her face. "Why did she look at me like that? Did she say something about me?"

"No," I said quickly.

Rose looked at my grandmother again, who was trying to hide her smile. "Just when I thought she was starting to like me," she muttered, frowning.

"She didn't say anything about you," I told her. "She was just wishing me a nice day at work."

Rose looked relieved. "Oh. Okay."

I kissed my grandmother on the cheek. "Alright, I'm leaving. See you later."

"You're not going to eat?" Rose asked.

I glanced down at my wristwatch and started to leave. "I don't have the time."

"You've got to eat something," Rose called after me.

"See you later, Roza!" I called back when I was at the front door.

Just when I'd reached my car, Rose walked outside with a lunch bag in her hands. "Here," she said, handing it to me. "You can't work without some food in your stomach."

I smiled softly. "Thanks, Roza."

She stood on her tiptoes and kissed the corner of my mouth. "Have a nice day at work, comrade."

I bit the inside of my cheek, refraining myself from telling her how much I loved her. I didn't want to ruin a perfect morning. She smiled before retreating to the house. Letting out a sigh, I opened the car door and climbed inside with great reluctance, wishing I could stay and make this perfect morning into a perfect day with Roza.

 **RPOV – AUGUST 6, 2015**

I felt kind of sad when Dimitri had left for work. But I was feeling happy at the same time because of what happened last night…and this morning. _Very happy._

I sat back down at the kitchen table to finish my breakfast. When I looked at Yeva, she was smiling to herself. I wondered why. She was acting strange this morning. I wanted to ask about it, but it wouldn't get me anywhere since she couldn't speak English.

Suddenly, I heard my name. I looked up again at Yeva. She was talking to me.

"Roza," she said, followed by a string of words I couldn't understand.

"You know I don't understand Russian" I answered

She grinned. I had the feeling she was laughing at me.

"Oh, you think that's funny?"

Yeva shrugged.

I crossed my arms. "Never mind."

Another smile crossed her face as she shook her head lightly. Again, she started talking to me in Russian. I had no idea if she finally liked me enough to talk to me, even if I wasn't able to respond, or if she was doing it to frustrate me. If that was the case, she was doing a terrific job. Finally, Yeva got up from her seat and shuffled out of the kitchen.

"I don't know if you realize this, but I still haven't learned Russian in the past five minutes," I called after her.

Yeva turned to look at me and laughed. Did she think I was being funny or was she laughing at me again?

"Okay, I'm going to pretend you're laughing because you think I'm hilarious," I told her as she stepped out onto the deck and shut the glass door behind her.

I finished my breakfast and started to clear the table when Olena walked in. She approached me hesitantly, an uncertain look on her face.

"Good morning," I said.

"Good morning," she responded. "How are you feeling?"

I gave her a smile. "I'm fine."

She arched an eyebrow. "Are you sure?"

"Yes," I said reassuringly.

Olena looked doubtful. "Last night must've been…hard on you."

I shrugged. "I'm kind of relieved. Now I don't have anything to hide anymore."

Olena nodded. "I guess that's true. Still… I'd like to apologize for Sonya's behavior. She had no right to-"

"You don't have to apologize, Olena," I cut her off gently. "What happened last night isn't your fault. It's mine. If I hadn't dropped my ring, there wouldn't have been a problem."

"Sonya was already arguing with you before that happened," Olena stated.

I sighed. "I know. But it's okay. I get it. She's protective of her brother. That doesn't make her a bad person."

Olena smiled. "I'm glad you feel that way. I hope Dimka will be as forgiving as you."

"Of course he will. She's his sister."

"Yes, but in hurting you Sonya has also hurt Dimka. I'm sure that wasn't her intention, but she did."

I didn't really know what to say to that so all I said was, "It'll be alright, Olena. Don't worry."

She nodded. "Where is he anyway?" she asked, changing the subject.

"He left for work about twenty minutes ago," I answered.

"Oh. Right." She sighed, shaking her head. "Always working."

"Mama, if we want to be able to come back here every year, he has to work a lot," a new voice said. The voice belonged to Viktoria. She smiled as she entered the kitchen and sat down next to her mother. "Good morning." She glanced up at a serious looking Olena. "That was a joke, Mama. You're supposed to laugh."

Olena cracked a smile. "Good morning, Vika. Did you sleep well?"

She shrugged, suppressing a yawn. "Could be better," she answered before glancing at me and giving me a tiny smile. "How are you, Rose?"

I returned her smile. "I feel a lot better now, thank you."

Last night, I'd told her the whole story of what was going on between me and Dimitri – and what had been going on when I'd still been with Adrian. Like she'd promised, she hadn't judged me. At first, I thought she was going to hate me because of what I'd put her brother through, but she didn't. Somehow, she understood, for which I was so, so grateful.

I let the two of them have breakfast and went upstairs to the bathroom to shower. On my way, I ran into another Belikov family member – it was the one I'd wanted to avoid today.

Sonya's lips were pursed and her arms were crossed as she looked at me. I mimicked her pose, determined not to be intimidated by her any longer.

"Hi," she said at last.

"Hi," I responded.

"I wanted to…" She cut herself off, hesitating. Sighing, she tried again. "I wanted to apologize for last night. I was out of line. I'm sorry." I was stunned to hear an apology coming from her lips. I think the surprise was clear on my face because she said, "That's probably not what you expected to hear, huh? Anyway…that's why I'm here. To apologize." She paused. "I had no right to judge you because I don't really know you that well. You have to understand, though, I was just trying to protect my brother. And I guess I should apologize for my behavior towards you in general. I've been mean to you since we met and that was…well, it wasn't fair. Like I said, I don't know you so I had no reason to act like that towards you."

I recovered from the shock and answered, "I accept your apology." She looked relieved at that. "And I understand that you wanted to protect your brother. It only proves how much you love him."

She nodded. "I just want him to be happy, Rose. And I know you can make him happy, but I also know that you are capable of breaking his heart. So please don't do that. Please don't hurt him."

"I won't," I vowed. "You have no reason to trust anything I say, but I'm telling you the truth. I won't hurt Dimitri."

Sonya nodded again. "Okay. I'll take your word for it."

I smiled, glad that our little feud seemed to be over. "Good."

* * *

 _That was it for this chapter. My exams are starting soon so the next chapter will be posted afterwards, which is probably next weekend. Please leave a review and let me know what you think! Have a nice day/evening! :)_


	26. Chapter 26

_Thank you so much for the reviews and wishing me good luck! I'm happy to say that I passed my exams and now I finally got some time to write so updates will be more frequent from now on! Yay! And there might be a little surprise for you guys at the end of this chapter ;D_

 _ **Disclaimer** : I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 26**

 **RPOV – AUGUST 6, 2015**

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my cell phone from the nightstand. I'd been staring at it for ten minutes now, contemplating if I should call or not. At last, I'd mustered up the courage to make the call.

I was kind of nervous as I waited for a response. When it finally came, I was not sure I knew how to talk anymore.

"Rose, is that you?" A pause. "Are you okay? Rose?"

"H-hi, Mom," I croaked out.

She sounded relieved. "Rose, hi. You scared me there."

"I'm sorry." Clearing my throat, I asked, "So how have you been? How's Dad doing?"

Mom laughed. "Oh, your dad is having the time of his life here in Egypt. We're both doing fine."

A small smile crossed my face. "I'm glad to hear that."

"How are you, Rose? And how's Adrian?" she asked. "We're wondering if we're ever going to get that wedding invitation," she added jokingly.

I closed my eyes and took another deep breath. "Yeah, about that…"

"Oh no," Mom exclaimed. "You're not blowing off the wedding, aren't you?"

"Umm, kind of," I said, biting my lip.

"Why?" she asked. She sounded shocked. "What happened?"

"Something happened to Adrian," I started. When she didn't say anything, I continued, "He…he died."

I heard a gasp on the other end of the line. I could hear my dad asking what was wrong in the background, but my mom was a little too preoccupied with me to answer him. "He died?! Oh Rose, I'm so sorry!" She sounded like she was on the verge of tears. "What happened?"

"He had a stroke," I explained. "A little over a month ago."

"Oh my poor baby," she said. I heard a rustle and then I heard her say in a muffled voice, "Abe, please wait a minute. You can talk to her in a bit." She returned her attention to me. "I'm so sorry – wait, what do you mean, a little over a month ago?"

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," I told her, "but I just couldn't. It was too hard and… I didn't want to ruin your vacation."

I let her scold me for five minutes. I had to admit that she was kind of right to be angry with me. I should have told her a long time ago.

"You should have told us, Rose," Mom answered. "We would have come back for you."

 _I know._ "But…"

"It's a stupid vacation, Rose," she cut me off. "You're way more important."

That made me tear up. "Thanks, Mom," I sniffled.

"We'll come home right away," she said.

"No, no," I said quickly, wiping a tear from my cheek. "I'm fine, Mom. You don't have to come all the way back just for me."

"Yes, we do," she protested. "We should have already been with you since the funeral."

"It's my fault, I didn't tell you guys."

"We're coming home, Rose."

"You don't have to," I said. "I'm not even at home anyway."

There was a pause. "Where are you then?" Mom asked at last.

"I'm staying at Dimitri's place," I answered.

"Dimitri?" she said, confused now. "I thought you didn't have any contact with him anymore."

"He came back for Adrian's funeral," I explained. "He's been very kind to me. He helped me get through this."

"And now you're staying with him?" Mom inquired skeptically.

"Yes. Lissa brought me to his place. She said I needed a little vacation." I smiled. "She was right. I feel a lot better now."

"We should've been there for you as well," Mom muttered unhappily. "We should've been at the funeral to support you. I hate that you felt like you couldn't tell us because you thought it'd ruin our vacation."

"I should have told you sooner, I know. But like I said, I couldn't bring myself to do it. I didn't want you guys to see me like this."

Mom sighed. "Oh, Rose…" There was a long pause. "How are you feeling now?"

"I'm okay," I told her truthfully. "Being away from home is doing me good."

"Do you want us to come and visit you?"

I hesitated. "That's a little tricky. Dimitri's family is here as well right now so the house is pretty full… I don't think you could stay."

"We can stay at a hotel. We'll still be close by, then," Mom suggested.

"I appreciate you wanting to do this, but I think you should enjoy the rest of your vacation," I said. "We'll see each other soon, okay? I'll be fine. I promise."

"Alright," she acquiesced. "Before you go, your father would like to talk to you."

As soon as the words had left her mouth, my dad was on the phone, frantically asking if I was alright.

"I'm okay, I'm okay, Dad," I said, trying to reassure him. "Please don't worry about me."

"Of course I'm worried about you, little girl," he said, distraught. "You lost your fiancé and you didn't even think to tell us."

"I'm sorry, Dad. I really am. Please don't be mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you. I just wish you would have called us."

"I know."

"You're not lying to reassure us, right? You really are okay?" he asked.

"Yes. I promise, I'm fine."

"And Dimitri is taking care of you?"

I rolled my eyes. "I can take care of myself, Dad."

"You know what I mean."

"If I need anything, he'll be there," I told him.

"I want you to call if there's anything – _anything_ at all," he pressed.

"I will," I promised.

After I'd reassured him enough, we said our goodbyes. At least I'd convinced them to stay put and enjoy the rest of their time in Egypt. Afterwards, they would be coming home to see me and there was nothing I could do or say to stop them.

I was relieved that they now knew the truth. It felt like a weight had been lifted off of my shoulders. And now that I was no longer hiding anything from them, I was actually looking forward to see my parents again when they'd return home.

I went back downstairs with a smile on my face. I hadn't been able to eat anything during lunch because I'd been so nervous about calling my parents, but now I was starving so I made myself a sandwich. I was about to sit down and eat it when I heard a car pull up in the driveway.

I put my sandwich down and made my way to the front door. A grin spread across my face when I opened the door and saw that Dimitri was back. I ran towards him and my arms flew around his neck before he could even close the car door.

The surprise on his face was evident. My grin widened and I pressed my lips to his. "Hi," I said as his arms wrapped around my waist. "I missed you."

His smile was broad and his eyes were twinkling with happiness. "This day just keeps getting better and better."

I kissed him again before pulling away from him. "So your sister apologized to me this morning."

Once again, he looked surprised. "Sonya apologized?"

I nodded. "I think she even meant it."

Dimitri smiled, but there was a warning in his voice. "She'd better."

"She sounded sincere enough," I told him. He still looked doubtful. "Don't be too hard on her. She was only looking out for you because she thought I might hurt you."

Dimitri glanced down at the ground. "Are you?" he asked quietly. "Are you going to hurt me?"

His question startled me and I was speechless for a moment.

When he looked back up at me, he said, "Don't get me wrong, I love what's happening right now, but…is this what you really want or are you confused like before, when you were with Adrian?"

He looked so vulnerable in this moment. I hated that I made him have doubts about me, about us, because of my actions in the past. But I was no longer confused or uncertain. I knew what I wanted.

"I hurt you a lot in the past. I know that and I can't tell you how sorry I am. But I'm not going to hurt you anymore, Dimitri. I know what I want now." I stepped back closer and took his hand in mine, lacing our fingers together. "I want _you_."

He smiled softly before wrapping his arms around me and kissing the top of my head. "I'm sorry I doubted you, Roza."

"It's okay. I understand."

He tilted my chin and our eyes met. Slowly, he leaned in and his lips brushed against mine in a soft, sweet kiss.

"Let's go inside before they catch us," he said, nodding at the window.

"Okay."

We pretended like nothing had changed to avoid the questions his family would surely ask if they knew what had happened last night…and this morning. They were going back home in a few days so I wasn't even sure Dimitri wanted to tell them anything before they left. I would leave the choice to him.

Even though Sonya had apologized today, I wasn't too sure though if she'd be so happy with the sudden progress Dimitri and I had made. Nonetheless, I was happy I'd finally taken the step to be with Dimitri.

Later that evening, I called Lissa to check in with her. She was doing just fine and so was Christian. She informed me that Mason had been sulking since they'd come home and I couldn't help but wonder if his changed behavior was because of me. Yes, I had noticed that he'd changed since we'd come here and yes, I had noticed as well that he hadn't been very kind to Dimitri, which was strange because Mason was kind to everyone. But I'd only started to realize what was really going on when I'd told him I'd be staying with Dimitri instead of going home.

I could honestly say I'd never noticed his feelings for me before our vacation at Dimitri's place. I'd had no idea. But the way Mason reacted when I'd said I didn't want to go home yet, and hearing what Lissa had to say about him now, I now knew. I felt bad for him. I felt bad that I had never noticed. But even if I had, it wouldn't have changed a thing. I only saw Mason as a friend. That's how I've always seen him and that's how I'd always see him.

"When you come home, please let Mason down easily," Lissa said. "He's not going to like hearing it, but he has to so he can move on."

"Yeah… I wish I'd figured it out sooner. Then maybe this could have been avoided."

When I wanted to hang up, Lissa stopped me to ask how things were going between Dimitri and me. I'd expected the question to pop up a lot sooner and was surprised she'd managed to wait this long to ask me.

"Actually, things are going pretty well," I answered, a smile forming on my face.

"Oh, does that mean what I think it means?" she squealed. She reminded me a little of Vika in this moment. Maybe that's why I liked Dimitri's youngest sister so much - because she was like my best friend.

"I don't really know what you think it means," I said, playing dumb.

She groaned. "Don't tease me, Rose. Just tell me already!"

"Fine," I said, laughing. "But don't tell Christian."

"You know I wouldn't," she told me.

"Promise me."

She sighed, exasperated. "Okay, okay, I promise."

So I told her. I even told her about what happened before our kiss last night, when my ring dropped to the floor and the Belikovs had interrogated me about it.

"Did you have a hard time telling them about Adrian?" Lissa asked, sympathy in her voice.

"No, it wasn't that hard anymore," I said honestly. "I don't mean that it was easy, but I didn't cry. I wasn't heartbroken. I just… I don't know. I guess I'm starting to heal."

"That's good," Lissa said. "And seeing as you kissed Dimitri last night, I'm guessing you don't feel as guilty anymore either."

"No," I answered. "Even my guilt won't change anything about how I feel about Dimitri. And knowing that Adrian wasn't exactly faithful either during our relationship makes it a little easier to not feel guilty."

"I still don't like that you think your kiss with Dimitri is just as bad as Adrian cheating on you with another woman. They weren't just kissing as you well know."

I sighed. "I know. But while Adrian slept with another woman, I've been cheating on him mentally since we got together."

"It's still not the same thing," Lissa pressed. She let out a sigh and said in a chipper tone, "Anyway, I'm glad things are starting to work out for you. You deserve some happiness, Rose."

I smiled. "Thanks, Liss."

Lissa sighed again. "I've got to go to work now." She groaned again, this time in frustration. "I hate night shifts."

"Will you say hi to Christian for me?"

"Will do. Love you."

"Love you too," I said just before she hung up.

There was a knock on the door and I looked up, startled. When the door opened, Dimitri walked inside, a hesitant look on his face.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi," I said, smiling. "Since when do you knock on your own door?"

He shrugged. "I know you were talking to Lissa. I wasn't sure you were finished and didn't want to disturb you."

"Don't worry, she just hung up."

Dimitri nodded. "How is she?"

I grinned at him. "She's fine, although she wishes she could have stayed here longer."

He chuckled.

I scooted to the end of the bed and got up, making my way towards him. "I'm glad that I got to stay a little bit longer," I murmured.

Dimitri's hand found mine and he smiled softly. "You know you can stay as long as you want."

We stared at each other for what seemed like a very long time, but was probably only a few moments. I realized tonight was different than any other nights we'd spent together and it was making me nervous. Yesterday, things had been normal. There hadn't been any expectations. Today, it was different. I'd told him I _wanted_ to be with him and that was true. I wanted to be with him – in every possible way. But wasn't it too soon for that? Shouldn't we wait a little longer?

But the way Dimitri was still staring at me, his gaze intense and full of longing…it made me feel all kinds of things in my body. _Good_ things.

"Roza…" he said, his voice husky.

I looked back up at him. He opened his mouth again and started to say something, but I took a step closer and pressed my lips against his, shushing him. His arms wrapped around my waist as I kissed him passionately.

When I pulled back, I whispered, "Maybe we should lock the door tonight."

If I was really going to do this, I didn't want any unwelcome visitors to walk in on us. My heart was hammering in my chest as I waited for a response from Dimitri. All he did was blink. I smiled at his stunned expression and stepped out of his embrace to lock the door.

When I walked back to him, Dimitri was still standing in the same spot, staring at me. When he didn't react, I asked, a little concerned, "Are you okay?"

He nodded, then smiled. "Yeah. I'm just…" He shook his head, clearing his thoughts. When he looked back at me, a look of admiration crossed his face. "I just can't believe this is really happening. It feels like I'm dreaming."

I totally understood what he meant. This was surreal. I'd never imagined that one day I'd be standing here with Dimitri. I'd never ever thought that this might happen. But I was so happy that it was happening.

"It's not a dream. It's real," I told him, placing my hands on his chest.

"Roza," he whispered again, this time his voice filled with longing.

 _ **~ START M SCENE ~**_

I waited for him to say something more, but he crushed his lips against mine and kissed me with fervor. His hands slid down my back before lifting me. I wrapped my legs around his waist as he walked me towards the bed and laid me down without breaking the kiss.

I scooted to the top of the bed and he crawled on top of me. His lips trailed down my jaw and towards my neck. I let out a soft moan and my hands slid down his chest to the hem of his shirt. Dimitri pulled away briefly as I pushed his shirt up and over his head. As soon as the shirt was removed, his lips attached to mine again. His hands started to explore my body, eliciting more moans from me. Remembering that we weren't alone in this house, I bit down on my lip in an attempt to silence my moans.

Dimitri removed my crop top. To help speed up the process, I unhooked my bra and discarded it the floor with my top. I remembered being nervous the first time a guy had seen me naked and I'd even had that nervousness with Adrian the first time we'd had sex, but not with Dimitri. With him, I wasn't nervous at all.

But that didn't mean he wasn't able to make me blush with the way he was looking at me right now. His eyes darkened and he looked at me yearningly. I'd never felt so desired before.

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him close and kissed him deeply, eager for more. My eyes closed when his lips trailed down my neck again and over my breasts. Another moan escaped my lips when his hand rubbed against the front of my panties. _God._ I had to admit that no one had ever made me feel so good, not even Adrian, and Dimitri wasn't even inside of me yet.

"I want you," I breathed, my voice hoarse. "Now."

Dimitri grinned down at me. Hastily, he removed the last items of our clothing before hovering over me again. He reached out to his nightstand and opened the top drawer, taking out a condom. I was glad that Dimitri didn't ask me if this was what I really wanted. I was pretty sure the look on my face expressed all he needed to know.

With one swift push, he buried himself inside me. I gasped and dug my fingers into his back. _Oh my._ Dimitri glanced up at me to make sure I was alright and I smiled at him. He leaned in and our lips met in a soft, sweet kiss. His whole demeanor changed. While he'd been rough and in a frenzy only minutes ago, he was now gentle and loving as he slowly started to move inside of me. One of his hands tangled in my hair and he murmured sweet nothings in my ear as we made love. The rhythm picked up and I moaned in pleasure, fisting my hands in his silky hair.

When I reached my peak, I cried out his name – or at least something that sounded like his name. Dimitri trusted into me one last time and climaxed, collapsing on top of me. He muttered something in Russian and buried his face in my neck, breathing heavily.

With eyes closed, I tried to calm my own breathing, which proved to be very difficult. A few minutes passed in silence, or maybe it was a few hours, I didn't know. All I knew was that I didn't want Dimitri to let go of me. Ever.

Dimitri lifted his head and pressed his lips against mine, giving me a tender kiss. He rolled onto his back, looking up at the ceiling. I looked at him, mesmerized. My heart was still thundering in my chest. I shifted, moving closer to Dimitri, and put my arm around his waist.

 _ **~ END M SCENE ~**_

He glanced down at me and smiled. I felt myself smile back immediately. He rolled onto his side and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

I sighed contentedly. "You know, that was amazing."

Dimitri's smile widened. "My thoughts exactly."

His hand slid down my back and he pulled me even closer. I looked up at him and he leaned in, brushing his nose against mine. I let out another sigh and rested my head against his chest before closing my eyes again. Suddenly, I felt very tired.

Dimitri noticed and pulled the covers over us. Right before I fell into a deep sleep, I felt him press his lips against my hair, murmuring, "Thank you, Roza."

* * *

 _There you go! I hope you liked it! Please leave a review and tell me your thoughts on this chapter! Have a great weekend! :)_


	27. Chapter 27

_Thank you very much for all the kind reviews! I appreciate all of them._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 27**

 **DPOV – AUGUST 7, 2015**

I woke up with the biggest grin on my face. I was ecstatic and full of energy, like I could take on the world, and it was all because of the woman lying next to me.

Yesterday had been perfect. Actually, it had been better than perfect – from start to end. For years I'd been pining after Rose, wondering if I'd ever have a chance with her. Well, after last night I could finally say she'd definitely been worth the agony I'd gone through these past years. She probably didn't even realize that she'd made me the happiest man alive last night.

 _Let's just hope she doesn't regret it the moment she wakes up_ , an unwelcome voice inside my head said.

I ignored it. Nothing or no one could ruin my mood today. Not even my gloomy thoughts. I looked down at Rose, smiling. She was curled up against my side, still fast asleep.

A part of me wanted to wake her up, but another part of me wanted to let her sleep so I could stare at her beautiful face a little while longer. I glanced at the alarm clock on my nightstand and realized I wouldn't be able to stare at her much longer. I had to leave for work.

I sighed and looked back at Rose. God, she was so gorgeous. Unable to control myself any longer, I brushed a loose strand from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. It woke her up. I cursed myself silently as she blinked at me, confused for a moment.

Then a lazy smile spread across her face.

"Hi," she said softly.

I smiled back. "Hi. Sorry I woke you up. I didn't mean to."

"It's okay," she responded, rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. "I don't mind."

I fought the urge to press my mouth against hers. I had to admit that it was hard and I couldn't help but stare at her kissable lips. It was like she was reading my mind, because suddenly she leaned forward and brushed her lips against mine, kissing me softly.

 _That's a good sign, right? Does that mean she doesn't have any regrets?_

When she pulled away, she smiled again, almost shy. I didn't like that she'd pulled away from me so quickly, though, so I slipped my hand behind her back and pulled her as close as possible before kissing her passionately. Our tongues entwined and I couldn't help but feel relieved because I knew that if she did have regrets she would have said so the moment she woke up. She would have definitely _not_ let me kiss her like this.

"I want to wake up like this every morning," I murmured, pressing my lips against her cheek.

"Me too."

I pulled away slightly to look at her face. Did I just hear that right?

She was grinning at me. "I like waking up next to you. Especially like this… Not that I didn't like it before," she added hastily.

I chuckled. "I know what you mean."

If I could I'd stay here in this bed with her forever, but I was afraid I would be late for my meeting with some new clients if I didn't get up right now. And I also had to check out that new condo...

Rose caught me looking at the alarm clock again and asked, "You have to go?"

I nodded.

She pouted. "Already?"

"I'll be back as soon as I can," I promised.

"It's okay, comrade. I don't want your clients to get mad at you because you're in a rush to get home," she said.

"What if tell them it's an emergency?"

She smiled, her eyes twinkling. "You'd make a bad impression and I know you don't want that. I don't want that either."

Now I was the one pouting. "I really wish I could stay here with you."

Her hand brushed through my hair. "I know."

Rose sighed and started to sit up. I sat up, too.

"You don't have to get up with me," I told her. "You can still sleep a little longer if you'd like to."

"It's fine. I like our morning routine."

 _Our routine?_

"When I walk you to the door and kiss your cheek before you leave for work," she elaborated.

 _Oh yes. That._ I liked that, too.

There was a lot of kissing and touching while we got dressed. Somehow, I didn't seem to be able to keep my hands off of her and neither could she. Never before had I dreaded leaving for work so much in my life.

My mother was already up and about, bustling around in the kitchen, when we came downstairs. She pointed to a paper bag on the counter.

"You're late today. I figured you wouldn't have time to eat with us so I made you some sandwiches to take with you," she said.

"Thanks, Mama," I answered, smiling brightly at her. I kissed her cheek, then hurried out of the kitchen.

Rose followed suit. "I'm sorry for making you late."

"I don't care," I responded. "Not if it's you making me late."

She smiled reluctantly. "Still…"

"I don't have any meetings tomorrow so I can work from home," I told her. "Maybe you wanna go somewhere?"

"I'd love to," she said, excited. Then she frowned. "But tomorrow's the last day your family is here. Don't you want to spend time with them instead?"

Right. How could I have forgotten that?

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess I should."

"It's fine, Dimitri. We can go somewhere some other time."

I nodded again. Then an idea struck me. "How about dinner tonight? Just the two of us?"

"I'd like that," she said softly.

I smiled, relieved and happy. "It's a date, then."

She smiled back. "You should go now, Dimitri. Or you're going to be _very_ late."

"Fine, I'll go," I mumbled, a little reluctant.

Rose stood on her tiptoes and wrapped her arms around my neck. My hands automatically rested on her hips, pulling her close. Our lips met in a tender, sweet kiss.

"Bye," she whispered.

"Bye," I whispered back.

Now I was even more reluctant to leave. But she pulled away and nudged me towards the door. I sighed and stepped outside, into the sunlight. She was still at the front door when I got inside my car, waving at me. I waved back and pulled out of the driveway. The same grin from this morning plastered across my face again and it stayed there for the rest of the day.

 **RPOV – AUGUST 7, 2015**

It was weird, my date with Dimitri. Well, the first part was - when Dimitri's family was practically glued to the windows when we left. No doubt they'd still be standing there, guarding the front door for when we'd return. I'd noticed a couple of missed calls from Vika and one text message that read, _Have fun on your date with Dimka. Turns out I was right about you two all along! Ha! In your face, suckers!_

"Is that Vika?" Dimitri asked, glancing at my phone.

"Yeah," I answered.

He smirked. "Of course it's her. What does she want?"

"Nothing." I grinned. "She just wants to let us know we never fooled her."

I didn't reply to the text. In fact, I turned my phone off so she wouldn't be able to disturb us anymore.

"Why isn't she calling you?"

"I turned my phone off before we left," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Smart."

A few minutes later, Dimitri parked the car and got out to open the door for me.

"Why, thank you," I said as I placed my hand in his and got out as well. I smiled up at him brightly and curtsied. "You are a true gentlemen, comrade," I teased.

Dimitri cracked a smile. "Anything for you, milady."

He led me into a small, very cozy looking restaurant. I was instantly relieved. Adrian used to take me to very expensive restaurants, crowded with rich people, which always made me feel uncomfortable and out of place.

But Dimitri knew better. He knew _me_ better. This was a normal restaurant with normal people. People like me. While Dimitri could afford having dinner at one of the more expensive restaurants in town, he preferred this. Despite all the money he made, he hadn't become arrogant or conceited. He was still himself. The only time he ever went to someplace fancy was when his family had just arrived this summer. And I know he'd only done that to please his family.

"I like this place," I told him as the waiter led us to the back, where it was a little more secluded. "It's very nice. You chose well, comrade."

He smiled. "I thought you would like it."

As I looked over the menu, I felt his stare on me. I looked back up and met his gaze, a smile playing at the corner of my lips.

"What?" I asked softly.

"Have I told you yet how beautiful you look tonight?"

"Just tonight?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

He looked flustered. "No, no. You look beautiful every day. But tonight…you look stunning in that black dress and I love it when you have your hair down-"

I grabbed his hand. "Relax, comrade. I was just teasing you." I smiled. "But thank you."

Dimitri looked relieved. "You really like teasing me tonight, huh?"

My smile disappeared. "I'm sorry. I guess I'm a little nervous about this date."

"Me too," Dimitri admitted.

"Isn't that weird? I mean, we've known each other for so long. And it's not like we haven't seen each other naked yet," I added jokingly. "Usually, people go out on dates before they have sex. Not the other way around."

Dimitri chuckled. "I consider myself very lucky."

I grinned. "You should."

My nerves calmed down as we kept up the banter during dinner. By the end of it, I was wondering why I'd been nervous to begin with. I mean, it was _Dimitri_. I had no reason to be nervous around him.

I didn't feel like going home just yet after our dinner. Apparently, Dimitri felt the same because when we were back in the car, he asked, "I would like to show you something. Are you up for that or do you want to go home?"

"I don't want to go home," I said quickly.

"We'll be home late," Dimitri warned. "Because the drive takes about an hour…"

I smiled. "I don't care. Let's go."

He smiled back and started the engine. "Okay."

"So…where are we going?" I asked curiously when a few minutes had passed.

He smiled again. "You'll see." I pouted at him, but he shook his head. "No, you aren't getting anything out of me. It's a surprise."

"Alright," I acquiesced. "I guess my only choice is to be patient and wait for my surprise, then."

"Good," Dimitri said, briefly looking away from the road to meet my gaze.

An hour later, we arrived at a nature reserve. I had no idea what we were doing here, but my interest was piqued.

"The Forrestal Nature reserve, huh?" I said, reading the sign. "What's so special about this place?"

"You'll see," was the only thing Dimitri said.  
Now I was really curious.

Dimitri grabbed my hand and led me through the gate. We made a right and followed a trail uphill. It looked like Dimitri seemed to know his way around pretty well because he didn't hesitate once when we came to a junction and took another right. I liked that he didn't let go of my hand.

"You come here a lot?" I asked.

"I used to," he replied.

"Used to?"

"Yeah, when I'd just moved here," he answered. "Now I don't have the time anymore."

"It's pretty here," I said, looking around at the wildflowers and the sage scrub. "Are we close to the coast? I can smell the ocean air."

Dimitri nodded.

"You're not going to tell me why you brought me here, right?"

A slow grin spread across his face. "You're not going to give up, right?"

I grinned back. "No."

"Neither am I."

I sighed. "Fine. But your surprise better be good," I warned playfully.

We continued to climb the trail and I looked up at the quarries surrounding us. As I did, I felt really small. Now I understood why this trail was called "Quarry trail". I hoped Dimitri wasn't planning on climbing up one of those, but so far he stuck to the trail.

"Um, Dimitri, I don't want to be annoying, but…" I looked down at the flats I was wearing. "My feet are killing me. If I'd known we were going to hike…"

Dimitri's eyes widened. "Oh, shit. I'm sorry, Roza. I should have thought about that."

"No, it's okay," I said hastily. "It's just, these flats are new and I'm not used to them yet. And now I'm hurting."

I looked down at the ground. Would it be safe enough to continue this hike barefoot? Dimitri must have guessed what I was thinking because he started shaking his head and said, "No, no, you're not going barefoot."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" I said, shrugging helplessly. "I'm starting to get blisters on my-" I'd squatted down to take a look and noticed dried blood on my heels. "Shit. I already have blisters."

I wanted to take the shoes off, but Dimitri was right. I couldn't go barefoot. Not with all these rocks lying around the trail.

"I'm sorry," Dimitri repeated. "I should have thought this through."

"It's okay, comrade. Don't worry. Let's just take a break for a few minutes. It'll be better in a bit." _I hope!_

"Do you wanna go back?" Dimitri asked.

I got back up and looked up at him. "What? No! I want my surprise."

He grinned. "Fine. I have an idea."

Before I could ask, he swooped me up in his arms. I gasped in surprise and threw my arms around his neck.

"What are you doing?" I exclaimed.

"I'm going to carry you," he answered.

"B-but you can't," I stammered. "You can't carry me all the way to… to where you're planning to take me. I'm too heavy."

"You're not," Dimitri argued. I started to protest again, but he cut me off, "You're not, Rose. Really. It's no big deal."

I huffed. "I'll walk."

"Your feet are blistered. I'm not going to let you walk. And it's my fault. I should have thought about this before."

"It's not your fault, comrade. If I'd worn my old flats, this wouldn't have been a problem."

He looked at me without saying a word. I crossed my arms and looked back at him, daring him to protest. But he just kept staring at me with that penetrating gaze of his. It started to make me feel uneasy.

At last, I unfolded my arms and muttered reluctantly, "At least carry me on your back. That's easier for you, don't you think?"

"Fine, whatever you want," he said, putting me back on the ground. "We should hurry, though, or we're going to be too late."

"Too late for what?" I asked.

Dimitri just smiled before turning around so I could hop onto his back. I wrapped my arms around his neck and let him carry me up the path. After tonight, I could safely say that doing a piggyback ride wasn't comfortable when wearing a dress.

"God, Rose, you really shouldn't have eaten that dessert," Dimitri said, puffing.

It took me a few moments before I realized what he was implying. Whacking the back of his head, I exclaimed, "Hey, this was your idea! You said I wouldn't be too heavy to carry!"

He chuckled. "I'm just kidding, Roza. You're not heavy at all."

"Is this your payback for earlier?" I said.

"If you can tease me, I can tease you as well, Roza," he said. I could hear the smile in his voice.

Soon, we were hiking on top of the quarries. Well, Dimitri was hiking. I was still on his back, enjoying the view.

When we reached the top, I let out a small gasp as I stared at the Pacific Ocean in wonder. Now I knew what Dimitri meant. The view up here was breathtaking.

"Oh, wow."

"Wait until you get a closer look."

The next few minutes were quiet as I gaped at the beautiful view ahead of us. Dimitri followed a new trail and brought us closer.

"Just in time for the sunset," he said.

I noticed my arms were clasped tightly around him so I let go and said, "You can put me down now. Your back must be hurting."

"I'm fine," he told me.

He put me down anyway because he knew I'd start another argument if he didn't. But this moment was too beautiful to argue so I wouldn't even dare.

"God, this is amazing, Dimitri," I said, gazing at the coastline. I had actual tears in my eyes.

"I know," he murmured as another smile spread across his face.

I looked on, mesmerized, as the sun was setting, its last rays reflecting on the ocean surface. I glanced back at Dimitri.

"So do you bring all your dates here?" I asked in a teasing voice. "I bet they all like this part very much."

"I've never brought anyone up here before," Dimitri said in a serious tone. "You're the first."

That made me blush. "Oh." I smiled shyly. "Thank you for sharing this with me, Dimitri. It was definitely worth the long drive."

"You're welcome," he said, taking my hand in his.

I turned my body towards his. He did the same, still holding onto my hand.

"Roza…" he started, his voice soft. He paused, hesitating. "I… I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" I asked quietly, moving closer to him.

He swallowed and glanced away nervously.

"Dimitri?" I asked, a little worried when he didn't say anything.

He shook his head. "I… I'm just so happy you're here," he whispered at last, his eyes meeting mine again.

"Me too," I murmured, standing on my tiptoes so our lips almost touched.

Dimitri briefly looked down at my lips before his eyes locked with mine again. I smiled at him and closed my eyes when his lips met mine. Once again, I felt butterflies explode in my stomach. I was still shocked by how much Dimitri was able to make me feel with one simple kiss. I was starting to wonder if something was wrong with me.

When he pulled away, I was still smiling stupidly. The smile transformed into a full-fledged grin and then I laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Dimitri asked, eyeing me. "Was that a bad kiss?"

I laughed harder and shook my head. "Not at all!" Wrapping my arms around his neck, I pulled him back closer. "I'm just laughing because I'm happy." I smiled again before pressing my lips to his lightly. " _You_ make me happy."

His arms wrapped around my waist, holding me close, as he kissed me deeply. I didn't know how long we stood there, making out in front of the beautiful ocean, but when I pulled away from Dimitri it was completely dark.

"Maybe we should head back," Dimitri said, breathless.

I was out of breath as well. "Yeah, maybe."

I shivered involuntarily and Dimitri frowned. "You're cold."

"Nah, I'm not," I lied.

Now that Dimitri's arms weren't wrapped around me anymore, I felt a little chilly. I probably should have brought something to wear over my strapless dress.

"You are," Dimitri countered. "I should have thought about that, too."

"Ugh, Dimitri. _That_ isn't your fault either," I said, rolling my eyes. "I should have brought something with me. Let's go back. You can warm me up in the car," I added, winking at him.

I started to walk, but stopped after a few steps and hissed.

"Feet still hurting?" Dimitri said, walking up to me.

"Yes," I admitted begrudgingly.

"Want me to carry you back?" he asked, trying to hide his smile.

I was reluctant to answer. "If it's not too much trouble."

He hoisted me onto his back and I clasped my arms around his neck. He started walking and I sighed, resting my chin on his shoulder.

"Thanks," I murmured, kissing his jaw.

"It's my pleasure," he responded.

The trail went downhill really fast, but I could still see the ocean from afar, the reflection of the moon shimmering on the surface, and I wondered if I'd ever see this place again. I hoped so.

It didn't take much longer before we reached the car. As soon as we were inside, Dimitri turned on the heat for me.

"I thought _you_ were going to keep me warm," I teased, grinning at him.

"Well, if that's what you want…" Dimitri said slowly, scooting over to me.

I'd never had sex in a car before. I'd always thought that it was impractical because of the small space, but right now, looking at Dimitri, I was willing to try it out anyway.

I leaned over to kiss him. Just when our lips crashed together, a bright light distracted me. I pulled away from Dimitri, blinking, and cursed silently as I watched a car pull into the parking lot. _Well, I'll be damned._ It seemed like someone was going for a midnight's stroll in the park.

"On second thought, maybe we should wait until we're home," I said when a couple got out of the car. They didn't seem in a hurry as they stood close together in the middle of the parking lot. And then…they started making out.

"Okay, time to go," Dimitri said, starting the car.

Startled, the couple pulled away from each other as we drove past them. That could have been us, but in a much more compromising position, if the headlights hadn't blinded us and tore us apart.

When we got home, Dimitri helped me out of the car. I gasped in surprise as he swept me up in his arms again, carrying me into the house.

"You don't have to do that," I told him, though I was smiling. "I think I can walk up the stairs by myself."

"Hush, or you're going to wake up my sisters," Dimitri whispered. "And believe me, you do _not_ want that to happen."

 _Oh, right!_ It had slipped my mind. Thinking of it now, I'd expected Vika to be waiting for our return, but thankfully she was nowhere to be seen at the moment. It was a little past midnight so maybe she was already asleep.

I slid my arms around his neck and pressed my lips lightly to his. "Fine, I'll be quiet." I ran my hand through his silky hair. "Are you going to take me to bed now?" I murmured, biting down on my lower lip.

Dimitri's eyes instantly filled with longing. His pace quickened all of a sudden and he practically raced up the stairs. Now it was me who had to tell him to be more quiet.

 _ **~ START M SCENE ~**_

As soon as we were inside his room, his lips connected with mine. I heard him kick the door shut and then he moved towards the bed. He laid me down and hovered over me, kissing me passionately. It didn't take long before our clothes were off and thrown into a corner of the bedroom.

 _What a perfect end to a perfect date_ , I thought just before he entered me. After that, all my thoughts became hazy. There was only Dimitri. Nothing else mattered. Only _him_.

Dimitri made love to me until we were both spent, and even then we couldn't stop touching each other. I knew that as long as Dimitri was holding me I would be okay.

 ** _~ END M SCENE ~_**

"That was the best date I ever had," I murmured, and I meant it. What Dimitri showed me tonight was very special and I would treasure it until the day I died. I was already half asleep, but managed to keep my eyes open long enough to lift my head and look at him. "Thank you, comrade."

His hand was in my hair and he pulled me close, kissing me softly. "It won't be the last one, Roza."

I smiled drowsily. "Promise?"

He smiled back and kissed me again. "Promise."

I lay my head on his chest and sighed contentedly. No longer able to keep my eyes open, I closed them and fell into a blissful sleep.

* * *

 _So that's it for this chapter. I hope you liked it. Please leave a review and let me know your thoughts on the chapter. I think this story will come to an end soon, but of course there will be more drama before that happens. And no worries, there will be a happy ending. Enjoy your weekend! ;)_


	28. Chapter 28

_Thank you so much for the reviews. They're very much appreciated. :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 28**

 **DPOV – AUGUST 8, 2015**

For the first time in a very long time, I woke up late. I guess I must have been exhausted because usually I woke up early in the morning. I looked over at Roza, who was still fast asleep, curled up against my body. Smiling, I leaned over and kissed her shoulder, then her neck. A soft moan escaped her lips and when I pulled away to look at her, she was blinking at me.

"Why'd you stop?" she said in a whiny voice.  
I chuckled. "Good morning, Roza."

She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes. "Morning." Sitting up, she said, "What time is it? Don't we have to get up? You're going to be late for work-"

I sat up too. "I'm working from home today, remember?"

"Oh." She grinned and lay back down. "Right. I guess we can stay a little longer in bed, then."

Rose tugged at my arm and I rolled on top of her. Dipping my head, I pressed a kiss to her neck. "I guess so." I pressed another kiss to her neck. And another. "I for one am not in a hurry to leave this bed. Especially not when you are in it…naked."

Rose giggled. Her hands slid around my neck as I trailed my lips down to her collarbone. "What about work, comrade? I don't want to keep you from-"

"Don't worry about work, there's time for that later," I cut her off, kissing her lips. "Right now I want to focus on you, Roza."

Her giggles turned into moans as I started to trail my lips down her body again. Unfortunately, I was interrupted by a loud knock on the door.

"You might want to take it down a notch, you guys," I heard Viktoria say from the other side of the door. "I don't know if you realize it, but you make a lot of noise. And I'm not just talking about right now. I'm talking about last night as well."

Rose looked at me, mortified.

"Yeah, that's right. The walls are thin," Viktoria continued. "You'd expect different seeing this house cost a fortune, but no… I heard pretty much everything."

"Oh my God," Rose gasped, clasping her hand over her mouth.

"Let's pray Mama and the rest didn't hear. If so, I'm surely going to enjoy the conversation that will follow as soon as you two get downstairs."

Was she laughing at us?

"So anyway… I'm going to head to the kitchen now. Seeing as it is our last day here, I would like to spend some time with you, Dimka, before we leave. And with you too, Rose. So please don't stay inside that bedroom all day just because you two can't keep your hands off each other. You can have sex all you want as soon as we're gone."

Finally, it was quiet. I glanced down at Rose, who still had a horrified look on her face. Sighing, I rolled off of her.

"Oh my God," Rose repeated. "Did she really hear everything?"

"I don't know," I answered. "Could be. Maybe she's just playing with us. As a way of punishment for not texting her back last night."

Rose looked at me, not impressed with my answer. "She definitely heard us." Her eyes widened and she let out another gasp. "What if your mother heard as well? Oh, and your grandmother!" She covered her face in embarrassment. "I don't think I can face them ever again."

"Viktoria's overreacting. They didn't hear us," I told Rose reassuringly. "The walls aren't that thin." _I hope._

Rose laughed a little and the tension in her shoulders disappeared. I leaned in and gave her a kiss on her soft, plump lips. I pulled away before it could lead to more because I didn't trust Vika on her word when she'd said she was leaving. Maybe she was still out there in the hallway, waiting for us to come out.

"Alright, let's go downstairs and face them before I chicken out and want to hide in your room all day," Rose said, sighing.

I kissed the top of her head before getting out of bed. "It's going to be fine, Roza."

Rose grumbled something under her breath and got up as well. As soon as she did, she flinched and cried out in pain.

"What's wrong?"

"My feet," she said, cursing. "God, if this hurts already, I can't imagine what it'll feel like when I'm getting in the shower. Stupid blisters. Stupid flats. I'm never wearing flats again," she growled, hobbling across the room to fetch her clothes.

I chuckled. "Want me to carry you around again?"

She glared at me. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No," I said quickly. "Just offering my help, that's all."

She narrowed her eyes at me, unconvinced. "Hmm."

"You didn't seem in much pain last night," I said teasingly. "After we came home, I mean."

A reluctant smile crossed her face. "I had other things on my mind."

"Well," I said slowly, making my way over to her, "I could make you forget about the pain again if you want to…"

She laughed. "No, no, comrade. We're going downstairs. Before your sister has had enough and comes barging in," she added.

"She wouldn't," I said.

Rose raised her eyebrows at me.

"I think," I added reluctantly.

She smiled knowingly and pecked me on the lips before she resumed putting on her clothes. When we finally walked into the kitchen, my family was sitting at the kitchen table, having breakfast. None of them were giving us strange looks. I figured that must mean they hadn't heard us last night. Viktoria, on the other hand, was smirking at us so I sent a glare in her direction, silently telling her to keep her mouth shut.

Then I noticed the suitcases lined up against the wall. "You already packed?" I asked, surprised.

"Yes, last night when you were on your date," Vika said in a teasing voice. "You guys had fun?" she asked innocently.

Mother cut her a look, but Viktoria continued to smirk at me and Rose.

"We'll be leaving in a couple of hours," Mama said, changing the subject. "I already arranged for cabs to take us to the airport."

"I thought I was going to drive you?" I said, a little disappointed.

"We don't fit in your car," she responded.

"I could take the other car," Rose offered. "Vika can sit with me. You don't need to take a cab."

Mama smiled at her. "Don't trouble yourself, honey. We'll manage."

I frowned. "Rose is right. You didn't have to call a cab. I would have dropped you off."

"Dimka, it's fine," she reassured me. "You've already done enough for us. We don't mind taking a cab."

Sonya snorted, making it clear she preferred the car ride.

"You have other things to do that are more important," Mama continued, her eyes boring into mine.

I wondered what she was talking about, but then her eyes flicked to Rose briefly before her eyes met mine again. I still wasn't sure what she was trying to say.

She noticed my confusion so she got up and said, "Can I have a word with you in private?"

I followed her out into the hallway. "What's going on, Mama? You're acting strange."

"Close the door," she told me.

I did.

"You need to tell Rose."

I was caught off guard by the serious tone in her voice.

"You've waited long enough, Dimka. You can't keep it a secret from her any longer," Mama went on. "Your relationship with Rose is getting serious. If you're waiting for the right moment, this is it. Don't wait too long. It'll only make things worse."

I paled at the idea of telling Rose the truth, but I knew it had to be done. I'd been avoiding thinking about it, which had been an easy thing to do now that things were so wonderful between Rose and me. I'd lived in a bliss the past couple of days and I didn't want anything to ruin that. I didn't want the bliss to end.

"I know," I whispered. "But I'm scared I'll lose her again."

"You won't. You just have to be honest with her," Mama told me. "Tell her the whole story. She'll understand."

"What if she doesn't?"

"There's only one way to find out."

I sighed deeply.

"It'll only get harder if you keep waiting. And Rose will be more upset the longer you wait to tell her."

"I know," I murmured again. "I know. I just wish there was another way…so I wouldn't have to hurt her."

"It'll be alright, Dimka," Mama reassured me, hugging me. "Have faith."

I nodded, swallowing past the lump in my throat. _What if she doesn't forgive me? What if she leaves me?_

"Promise me you'll tell her as soon as we leave."

 _What? Like, today?!_

"It wouldn't have been the right time with us around, but now that we're leaving… You can take time to explain it to her. So promise me you will."

 _She's going to hate me. She's going to leave me._

I looked her in the eye. "I will."

Mama looked relieved. "Good. You're doing the right thing, Dimka."

I sighed again. "I know. She deserves to know the truth. Even if it's going to break her heart." _And mine._

She squeezed her arms around me one last time before letting go. "You know you can call me if you need me."

I nodded. "Thanks, Mama."

We returned to the kitchen and found everyone looking at us in curiosity. Rose frowned when she saw the look on my face and when I walked past her, she murmured, "You okay, comrade?"

I nodded, unable to speak. She looked worried, but didn't say anything else with my family around to hear us. I was quiet and lost in thought the rest of the day. I dreaded the moment my family left because that meant I would have to talk to Rose.

"Are you sure you don't want me to drive you to the airport?" I asked my mother one last time when two cabs pulled up at the curb.

I needed time to think about how I was going to break the news to Rose. I glanced over at her. My sisters were hugging her goodbye, even Sonya. I was glad they'd made peace. Hopefully, Rose would make peace with me after I told her the horrible truth. I didn't care if she'd get raging mad at me, as long as she'd forgive me in the end.

"No, we'll manage," Mama said. "Thank you for everything, Dimka. And…good luck," she added, giving me an encouraging smile.

"Oh, I'm going to miss you," Vika cried. She still hadn't let go of Rose. "I'm sad to leave, but at least you and my brother have privacy now to do whatever the hell you want," she added, winking at me.

Rose's cheeks turned red. "Right," she muttered, clearing her throat. "Have a safe flight, Vika."

Viktoria walked up to me and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tight. "I'll miss you too, big brother."

I smiled and hugged her back. "I'm going to miss you too, Vika."

"Please don't let Rose ever leave," she whispered in my ear. "I think she makes a great sister-in-law."

I grimaced. Luckily, she couldn't see my face. "I – I'll try."

I glanced over at Roza again and she was attempting a conversation with my grandmother. "Goodbye," she said slowly. "It was very nice to meet you. Have a safe flight."

My grandmother looked at her, confused, but then smiled. "Do svidaniya, Roza."

Rose and I watched my family get into the cabs and waved them off. When they were gone, Rose turned to look at me.

"Did you see that?" she said excitedly. "Your grandmother smiled at me. And I think she said something nice."

I nodded, a faint smile on my face. "I saw."

"Isn't that great? I think she's finally starting to like me!"

I nodded again. "Yeah…"

Rose's smile disappeared and she frowned. "What's wrong, Dimitri? You've been awfully quiet all day." She paused. "Are you sad that your family is going home?"

I sighed. I wished I could tell her that that was the reason, but it wasn't. Turning around, I walked back into the house. Rose followed me to the living room.

"Dimitri?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.

I turned back around and faced her. My hands were sweating and I felt a little sick. I don't think I'd ever been so nervous in my life. Taking a deep breath, I said, "Rose, we need to talk."

* * *

 _Uh oh, shit's about to hit the fan! How will Rose react when she finally hears the truth from Dimitri? Please leave a review and let me know if you liked the chapter.  
Also, this story is almost over. I think there'll be 4-5 chapters left. But... I'm already thinking up a new Romitri story so I guess that's good news, right? :D_

 _Have a nice day/evening! :)_


	29. Chapter 29

_Thank you so much for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 29**

 **RPOV – AUGUST 8, 2015**

"What's going on, comrade?"

I stepped closer and put my arms around his neck. He looked nervous for some reason. Avoiding my gaze, he pulled my arms from his neck and took a step back, putting distance between us. I ignored the sting of rejection.

"You're starting to freak me out, Dimitri," I said, my voice wavering a little. This wasn't just about his family leaving.

"I need to tell you something," he said at last. He looked like he was in pain.

"Okay…"

Was he going to throw me out? Was he tired of me? I was seriously freaking out right now, but I tried not to show him.

Dimitri wrung his hands together. "Okay. Maybe you should sit down."

"I think I'll stand."

He nodded, averting his eyes again.

"Promise me you'll let me finish?" he said. "You need to hear all of it."

"I need to hear all of _wha_ t, Dimitri?" I asked, agitated now. I had a bad feeling about this. "Just tell me already."

"I want you to know the real reason why I left two years ago," he said, finally meeting my gaze.

This I had not expected. I'd been wanting to hear this since the day he'd left, but now I was scared to know. Because…why was he so nervous about telling me why he'd left back then? Was there something more going on?

Dimitri took a deep breath. "I caught Adrian with another woman."

I felt like time had stopped – and my heart as well. I stared at him, shocked and utterly speechless.

"It happened right after our fight…in your car…about that kiss," he continued. "I – I got home and there he was with this woman. I got pissed at him and he swore to me it would never happen again."

I blinked. What the hell was happening right now? _Maybe Dimitri's right. Maybe I_ should _sit down._ Slowly, I sank into the couch and continued to stare at Dimitri, stupefied.

"I wanted to tell you, Roza. But he made me promise not to and he was my best friend so that's why I didn't tell you. But I should have told you. You deserved to know. But he promised me he wouldn't do it again and I believed him."

I blinked again. I was still unable to talk. Or think.

"But then I found out he was seeing another girl after he'd proposed to you and I..." He paused, sighing. "I was so angry at him for breaking his promise, for cheating on you… We fought, and I left. I couldn't stand to be around him anymore so I left."

I blinked once again, but this time I was blinking away my tears. It was quiet as I tried to process everything Dimitri had just told me.

"Roza, please say something," he whispered.

"Why didn't you tell me?" I asked quietly. "Instead of leaving, you could have told me."

"I wanted to tell you so badly, Roza, I hated what he was doing to you. But after our fight it was never the same between you and me and I didn't think you'd believe me," Dimitri explained, a desperate look in his eyes. "I figured you'd think I was trying to break you and Adrian up. Adrian knew about my feelings for you and he was taunting me with it. He knew you wouldn't believe me. After that, I couldn't watch you get married to him. I just couldn't do it. I had to leave."

I remembered Adrian telling me that he hadn't known why Dimitri had suddenly left, that he'd had no idea why Dimitri had punched him… What a liar. How could I have ever trusted him?

But Dimitri was a liar, too.

"You could have told me when you came back!" I cried out, getting up from the couch. "I asked you about Abby-"

"I didn't know about Abby," Dimitri interrupted quickly. "I swear."

"That might be true, but you knew about the other girls," I exclaimed. "When I told you I thought he was cheating on me, you said not to jump to any conclusions. You knew damn well he had been cheating on me and you didn't tell me. You _lied_ to me."

"I'm sorry, Roza," Dimitri said pleadingly. "I'm so sorry. I just didn't want to hurt you. You were already hurting so much. I didn't want to cause you any more pain."

"So you were never going to tell me?" I yelled. "I've been here for weeks now and you never thought that I should know the truth?" A tear rolled down my cheek. "I trusted you, Dimitri! I let you back into my life and now-"

I cut myself off, taking a deep, calming breath. Dimitri stepped closer and reached for my hand, but I pulled it away before he could even touch me. Furiously, I wiped at my eyes.

"Roza, please," he whispered, his voice breaking.

"I can't believe you'd do this to me," I cried. "I feel so stupid for trusting you. You used me."

"No, Roza, no," he said, shaking his head. "I wanted to protect you. You were hurting so much when you came here and I just wanted you to be happy. I was going to tell you. I swear."

I snorted. " _After_ sleeping with me, of course."

"I love you, Roza," Dimitri said firmly. "I am in love with you. The only reason why I didn't tell you sooner is – well, I'm a coward, okay? I was scared."

I frowned at him. "Scared?"

"Yes. I was scared of losing you again," he answered. The desperation in his eyes was still very clear. "I thought you were going to leave me and I didn't want that. I knew that I had to tell you eventually, but I wanted to hold on to you a little longer. I'm sorry I did that. I know I shouldn't have done that. I should have told you right away, but I'm an idiot. I'm a fucking idiot for keeping that a secret for you."

"You're right about that," I huffed, crossing my arms. "You are an idiot. And a liar. Just like Adrian. You're just like him."

I regretted the words as soon as they'd left my mouth, but it was too late to take them back. For the first time, Dimitri looked angry.

"I'm nothing like Adrian," he exclaimed in outrage. "It's true that I lied about some things, but I did it to protect you. I didn't want you to get hurt again. But I'm telling you the truth now because you deserve to know. Because I love you." He rolled his eyes. "But what does that even matter? You're always going to love Adrian," he muttered. "You're always going to choose him."

"That's not true," I protested. Where was this coming from?

"Let's be honest, you're only here because he's gone, Rose," Dimitri sighed. "I've always been second best. If he were still alive, you'd be married to _him_ by now. And I… I would still be here, pining for you."

"Dimitri," I started.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. That wasn't really fair of me. I know you'll never love me the way you love Adrian and that's fine. I don't expect you to. He was the love of your life after all."

"Dimitri…" I said again. He looked at me and I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't get anything out. I couldn't get the words out. _Why?_ "I…" I blew out a breath, frustrated with myself. "I need a moment to think."

He nodded. "Okay, I'll leave you alone."

With his head down, he walked past me. I stood very still until I heard the front door slam shut. Another tear escaped the corner of my eye and I wiped it away before turning around and heading upstairs. Instead of going into Dimitri's room, I opened the door to the guest room Viktoria had used, the one that I had used when I'd just arrived here. I lay down on the bed and sighed, closing my eyes. I hadn't felt this bad in a long time.

So Adrian had been cheating on me with more than one girl and Dimitri had known. I couldn't say that I didn't feel betrayed, but I'd had no right to call Dimitri a liar. And I sure as hell shouldn't have said that he was just like Adrian.

If I was being completely honest with myself, I would have to call myself a liar as well. When I'd turned Dimitri down for Adrian, I'd lied to him. I'd told him I didn't have feelings for him, which had been a big lie. I'd been lying to Adrian since the start, pretending that he was the only one. I'd lied to myself, pretending I didn't have feelings for Dimitri. And I'd lied to Dimitri…

So who was I to call him a liar? He only did it to protect me. Could I even be mad for that? Sure, I was hurt. But mad? Dimitri did what he did out of love. For _me_. So was it fair of me to be angry with him?

Well, at least I knew the real reason why Dimitri had left. I wished I could say it hurt less now that I knew the truth. And Adrian… He was an even bigger scumbag than I'd originally thought. Not only for cheating on me with several other girls, but because he'd lied to me about why Dimitri had left. If I'd known, I might have gone after Dimitri. But would I have? Dimitri wasn't the only coward. I was one too. An even bigger one.

Groaning, I buried my face into the pillow. "Goddammit. I'm such a fool!"

 **DPOV – AUGUST 8, 2015**

It was dark when I finally came home. I wasn't even sure if Rose was still here. Maybe she'd left. I wouldn't blame her if she had. I was such an idiot for keeping Adrian's secret. I should have told her sooner. Now I'd only made things worse for both of us.

To my surprise, I found Rose in the living room, sitting on the couch. She jumped up as soon as she saw me and her arms flew around my neck.

"Oh my God, I was so worried!" she exclaimed. I was too stunned to react. She pulled away from me, relieved, and said, "For a moment I thought you weren't going to come back."

"Of course I was going to come back," I told her.

"I'm sorry," she blurted out. "I shouldn't have said that you're just like Adrian. You aren't. I understand that you didn't tell me. I mean, Adrian was your best friend and you made a promise to him. I even understand that you didn't tell me when you came back into my life. You just didn't want to hurt my feelings. Not when Adrian had just died. I couldn't have handled that and you knew it."

"I should have told you sooner, though," I said quietly. "I was wrong to wait so long. I'm sorry."

She nodded and hugged me again.

"Are we okay?" I whispered, holding her.

She pulled away from the hug to look at me and bit her lip. "Look, Dimitri…"

I already knew that I wasn't going to like hearing this. But I needed to hear it anyway.

"I think we both need some space, and time to think," Rose said.

My heart broke into a million pieces. How could things have changed so much in one day? This morning we were fine – more than fine. We were perfect and now…now everything was ruined. She was leaving me.

"I don't want you to leave," I pleaded.

"I know, but I think I should," she said softly. "For now."

"For now?"

She nodded. "I have to go home anyway. I have to go back to work next week."

I sighed, knowing that the right thing to do was to let her go. Swallowing past the lump in my throat, I said, "Okay."

"I'll be gone first thing tomorrow morning," she said.

 _So soon?!_

"Okay," I repeated, feeling crushed.

I wondered if I'd ever see her again. She'd said she would leave _for now_ , but what did that mean? Was she coming back? After what happened today I found that hard to believe.

"There's something I want to give you," I said after a few moments of hesitating. I wasn't sure if this would make things worse or better for her. I hoped the latter. "I'll be right back."

I went up to my room and retrieved the letter from my bottom drawer. I had hidden it underneath all my socks after I'd first read it, unsure of what to do with it. But now I knew. I returned to Rose and presented her the letter. She eyed it curiously.

"It's from Adrian," I told her.

Her eyes widened for a moment, but then she frowned. "Adrian?"

I nodded. "He sent me the letter a few days before he…" I cleared my throat. "Before he passed away. I didn't read it right away because I was still pissed at him, but then he died and…" I sighed. "Well, I think you should read it as well."

"I'm not sure I want to read anything from Adrian," Rose muttered, glaring at the letter. "I'm kind of pissed at him, too, at the moment."

"You should read it anyway," I insisted.

"But he sent it to you," Rose said. "It's yours. I probably shouldn't be reading it."

"I want you to read it."

"Why?" she asked, surprised.

"Maybe it'll give you the closure you need," I answered.

Hesitantly, she took the letter from me. "Do you mind if I read this back at home? I don't really feel like doing this right now."

"That's fine. You can keep the letter."

She nodded her thanks. "I should probably pack my things."

"Do you need help?" I asked.

"No, but thank you." She gave me a small smile. "Good night, Dimitri."

I watched her leave and, suppressing a sigh, I said, "Good night."

* * *

 _So yeah, the drama started again. You guys probably hate me right now for making Rose leave, but I promise it'll be okay in the end. ;)  
Have a nice day/evening! :) _


	30. Chapter 30

_Thank you for the reviews! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 30**

 **RPOV – AUGUST 9, 2015**

I had a hard time getting up in the morning. Not because it was early, but because I was leaving. I was leaving Dimitri and I didn't want to. But I needed time and space. And I think Dimitri did as well. I said some hurtful things to him and even though I apologized I wanted to give him time to think things through, to see if I was still what he wanted.

When I walked into the kitchen, Dimitri was already sitting at the table. He looked exhausted. I bet he'd slept just as much as I had last night.

"Good morning," he said, his voice soft.

"Good morning," I said, forcing a smile onto my face. There was an awkward silence so I cleared my throat and said, "The cab will be here in a few minutes."

"Already?" Dimitri tried to hide his disappointment, but I saw it anyway. "Don't you need to eat something before you go?"

I shook my head. "I'm not really hungry."

He nodded. "Okay."

More silence followed, and it was even more awkward. The next few minutes passed excruciatingly slow.

"Promise me that you'll read that letter," Dimitri said, breaking the silence. "You don't have to do it for me or for Adrian. Do it for yourself."

He stared at me, his eyes boring into mine, until I finally said, "I will."

When the cab arrived, Dimitri helped me carry my luggage outside.

"I'm not going to see you again, am I?" he said, his voice so quiet I barely even heard him.

"Of course you're going to see me again," I said firmly, forcing back my tears.

Dimitri smiled sadly. "Goodbye, Rose."

"Dimitri, no-"

The cab driver honked impatiently. _What an ass._

Dimitri opened the car door for me. "Get home safely," he said softly.

I got inside and he closed the door the door before I could tell him this really wasn't goodbye. Unless…that's what he wanted. Had I hurt him so much yesterday that he was finally deciding to let me go? Was I making a mistake by leaving?

Before I could change my mind and get out, the cab pulled away and onto the road. The only thing I could do was look at Dimitri through the window. I put my hand against the glass, wishing I could reach out and touch him one last time. I didn't realize until my view of him had disappeared that my cheeks were wet with tears.

The flight home was long and lonely. I kept glancing down at Adrian's letter that was sitting in my lap. I still didn't want to read it, but I promised Dimitri I would read it so of course I would do so – one of these days.

"Just read the damn thing already, woman. You've been eyeing it since you got on this plane and that was over an hour ago."

I scowled at my neighbor. He looked irritated. Well, now _I_ was irritated too. Still glaring at him, I stuffed the letter into my purse, which caused him to roll his eyes at me.

"Why are you scared to read it?" he asked. Smirking, he added, "Is the letter from an ex-boyfriend?"

"That's not any of your business," I snapped.

The guy chuckled, amused now.

"And I'm not scared," I added in an afterthought.

"Fine," he said shrugging.

"I'm not," I insisted.

"Fine," he repeated.

"I promised my boyfr – uh, my friend – that I'd read it so I will," I continued. "I just don't want to do it right now when there are people reading over my shoulder." I looked at him pointedly.

"I won't look," he vowed, smirking again. "I'm not really interested in your boyfriend's secrets."

"He didn't write this," I blurted. "Someone else did."

 _Shut up, Rose_. Why was I even talking to this guy? He was rude.

My neighbor raised his eyebrows at me.

I cleared my throat. "Anyway, "I'll read it when I get home," I said firmly. _Who am I trying to convince? Him or me?_

"Okay. Good for you," he replied. "I didn't want to hear the story anyway."

I couldn't believe my ears. "Then why did you ask?" I snapped at him.

He was smirking _again._

"I wasn't going to tell you anyway because it's none of your business," I said, gritting my teeth. "And wipe that smirk off your face."

He tried to compose himself. "Alright, ma'am."

"And don't call me ma'am," I snarled. This guy was really pissing me off. "You know what, don't call me anything. Don't even talk to me."

The guy shook his head at me before grabbing his iPod and putting on his headphones. I felt relieved that he was finally leaving me alone, but I kind of felt a little guilty too for snapping at him like that. But I was right, wasn't I? He had no right to pry into my life. Lucky for me, he didn't spare me another glance and I was able to get off the plane a little calmer than when I boarded the plane.

Christian came to pick me up at the airport. I'd kind of hoped that Lissa would be the one to come and get me, but she was working.

"You don't look too happy," Christian noted.

I shrugged.

"Lissa was kind of surprised when you called that you were coming home," he continued, studying my face. "So was I."

"I have to go back to work next week," I answered, not looking at him.

"I have a feeling that that's not the reason why you came back, but it's okay if you don't want to tell me," Christian said. It surprised me how nice he was being. I'd expected sarcastic comments and a lot of probing. "Lissa's shift ends in an hour. You're welcome to wait at our place until she gets home. If you want to talk to her about it," he added.

I gave him a grateful smile. "Thanks, Christian. I appreciate that."

He shrugged it off. "Give me your suitcase. I'll put in the trunk."

The drive to Lissa's apartment was quiet. Christian let me be, for which I was grateful.

"Here's the key," he said when we arrived, handing it over to me.

I was confused. "Where are you going?"

"I need to run some errands," he said. "You can wait upstairs. Lissa will be here soon."

I got out of the car. "Okay."

He smiled and I closed the door, watching him drive away. I had a feeling that he wasn't going to run any errands. He just wanted to give me and Lissa time to talk – _alone_. Which was very sweet of Christian to do. I had to remind myself to be nicer to him in the future.

It didn't take much longer for Lissa to get home. I'd just settled into her couch with a jar of ice cream when she stormed through the door.

"Rose, what happened?" she exclaimed. "I thought things were going so well between you and Dimitri."

"They were," I told her. "They were great, but…" I sighed. "Something happened."

I told her everything, except for Adrian's letter that I still hadn't read. When I'd finished the story, Lissa hugged me long and hard.

"That's awful, Rose," she said sympathetically. "I'm sorry that happened."

"It's okay, I'm glad Dimitri told me the truth. Although it took him long enough to tell me," I muttered.

Lissa pulled back to look at my face. "Rose, that's not fair. You lied to him as well," she said. "About your feelings for him. It took you a very long time to tell him as well."

I sighed. "I know. I know I'm not being fair." Shaking my head, I said quietly, "I just feel so stupid."

"Why?"

"Because I never noticed Adrian was cheating on me. But Dimitri noticed. It's embarrassing."

"Well, of course. Dimitri was his best friend."

"And I was his girlfriend. I should have noticed!"

"Maybe you didn't want to see it."

"Maybe I was too busy worrying about Adrian noticing my feelings for his best friend," I grumbled, putting another spoonful of ice cream into my mouth.

"You know that Dimitri didn't tell you because he didn't want you to get hurt, right?" Lissa said softly. "You know how much he loves you. You know he'd do anything to protect you."

"I know," I moaned. "That's what makes this so much worse."

Lissa looked at me, confused.

"I got so mad at him, Liss," I said, shaking my head. "I called him a liar. What gives me the right to call him a liar? I'm a liar as well. Adrian was too." I groaned again. "What's even worse, I said he was just like Adrian. He didn't deserve that."

"It's true he didn't deserve that," Lissa agreed. "But you apologized to him."

I nodded. "I'm so angry with myself."

"Why? You apologized."

"That doesn't make it right," I muttered. "I hurt him really bad."

"Everyone makes mistakes, Rose," she said gently. "Dimitri did too. And some," she added, her voice stern, "make bigger mistakes. Like Adrian." She huffed. "What a prick."

"He was lying to me, I was lying to him," I said with a shrug. "I don't really see the difference."

"God, Rose, how many times do I have to tell you before you realize it? You didn't act on your feelings." When I opened my mouth to protest, she added quickly, rolling her eyes. "Except for that one time when you shared a kiss with Dimitri." I cut her a look. "But Adrian listened to his dick instead of his brain."

I almost choked on my ice cream.

"What? It's true!" Lissa exclaimed.

"Yeah, yeah, I get your point," I said quickly before she burst out again in outrage.

"Finally!" she said, a little annoyed, though she seemed pleased that I understood now.

"There's something else," I said, after a few moments.

"What?" Lissa asked hesitantly, almost afraid to hear.

I licked my spoon clean so I could gather my thoughts. I wasn't really sure if I should tell her this part or not. But she was my best friend. If anyone could help me out, it was her.

"Dimitri gave me a letter," I said at last.

"A letter?"

I nodded. "It's from Adrian. Apparently, he'd sent it to Dimitri a few days before he died."

Lissa looked shocked. "Oh no. Did you read it?"

I shook my head. "Not yet."

"What are you waiting for?"

I shrugged. "Adrian wrote it to Dimitri. Not me."

"So? I'm guessing Dimitri gave it to you to read for a reason."

I sighed. "I know, and I promised him I would read it, but…" I recalled my conversation with the nosy stranger on the plane, how he'd said I was scared. Maybe I was. "I'm not sure I want to know…"

"Do you want me to read it for you?" Lissa asked.

"No," I answered. "I don't think that's right. There's probably some personal stuff about Dimitri's friendship with Adrian, seeing as Adrian wrote it to him."

Hopefully it didn't contain a bunch of other secrets I didn't know about.

"Okay, then _you_ read it," Lissa said. "And if you feel the need to talk about it afterwards then come to me. I'm here for you."

I hugged her and offered her the last bit of ice cream in thanks.

"Do you want to go home?" Lissa asked after a few moments.

"No," I murmured. I didn't want to go back to my house, where I'd be all alone with my depressing thoughts.

"Do you want to stay the night?" she asked.

I looked at her hopefully. "You don't mind?"

She smiled. "Of course not. I'll call Christian and tell him he will have to sleep on the couch."

"I will sleep on the couch," I offered. "You don't have to kick Christian out of bed because of me."

"He doesn't mind," she said, waving away my worries.

"Where is he anyway? We've been talking for hours. He can't be running errands for that long, right?"

"Errands?" Lissa said, raising an eyebrow. "That's what he told you? He's out with Eddie and Mason."

"Oh," I said.

"Speaking of Mason, you really got to talk to him," Lissa said. "He can't shut up about you. He keeps asking how you're doing and when you're coming back. Please tell him you don't feel the same way about him."

"I'll tell him," I answered, suppressing another sigh. "I wish I figured it out sooner. Then maybe I wouldn't have to hurt him now."

"Yeah, I know," Lissa said softly. "But he'll survive. It's just a crush. It's not like he's _in_ _love_ with you." She paused, studying my face. "Like Dimitri." I looked up at her. "Are you ever going to forgive him?"

"Of course I am," I told her, almost outraged. I already had. "He didn't do anything wrong. Not really… It's like you said, he did it because he loves me."

"What about you? Do you love him?" Lissa inquired.

"You know how I feel about him, Liss," I said softly.

She nodded. Grabbing my hand, she squeezed it gently. "It's going to be okay, Rose. You two are meant to be. It'll all work out, you'll see."

I squeezed her hand back, feeling very grateful to have her in my life. "Thanks, Liss. You're the most amazing friend in the world."

* * *

 _You're probably wondering what the hell is in that letter. No need to worry, though, you'll find out next chapter! :D Seeing as I wrote the letter when I'd just started the story, I'll be able to update quickly! Please leave a review and let me know what you thought of the chapter. Enjoy your weekend! ;)_


	31. Chapter 31

_Thank you very much for the reviews. It's much appreciated! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 31**

 **RPOV – AUGUST 10, 2015**

When Lissa dropped me off at my house at ten in the morning, I sat at the kitchen table for a very long time. I was not in the mood to unpack my suitcase. Honestly, I wasn't in the mood to do _anything_ – except for stare at that damn letter.

 _I'm not scared. I'm not scared. I'm not scared._

 _But I_ am _scared._

 _No, Rose. That man on the plane was wrong. You're not scared._

"Fuck it," I said out loud, opening the envelope and taking out the letter. Taking a deep calming breath, I started to read it.

 _Dimitri,_

 _I know you probably don't want to hear from me after everything that's happened. I get it now. I really do. But before you tear this letter apart, I'm going to need you to finish reading it because what I have to say is important._

 _I would have called, but you'd probably hang up on me before I could even begin to explain. Of course I could have mailed you, but I don't have my laptop with me right now, hence the letter._

 _I wish I could tell you I've learned my lesson after you left. I wish I could tell you I've become a good and trustworthy guy. I'm afraid, though, I'm going to have to disappoint you – again._

 _I realize I'm stalling and you're probably wondering what the hell my point is with this letter so I'm just going to say it._

 _You were right, Dimitri. You were so, so right when you told me Rose deserves better. I didn't want to believe you back then, but I've realized the truth now. I'm no good for Rose. I never was. Because, even though it completely destroyed our friendship, I'm still making the same mistakes over and over again._

 _You'd think I know better now, but, halas, that's not the case. Believe me, I've tried to change, especially after our fight. I wanted to prove that you were wrong, but it turns out you were right all along. I can't change and, honestly, I'm not sure I want to._

 _What I'm trying to say is that I can't go through with it any longer. I can't marry Rose. It's not fair. Not to her, not to you and not to me. Even though Rose tries to hide it, I know she misses you very much._ _I've been denying it for years, but deep in my heart I've always known about her feelings for you. It was obvious from the start, but my ego was big enough to believe I could make her fall in love with me. And for a time, I believed I'd accomplished just that, but in the end I couldn't ignore the way she was looking at you anymore._

 _So you're probably wondering why I didn't break up with her. The truth is, I was jealous and selfish. Rose was this cool, wonderful and gorgeous woman. I just had to have her. But you have to believe me when I say I really did love her. I still do. I'm just not in love with her anymore. I don't think she's in love with me either. She's trying, though, she really is. While I appreciate that, I know that it's wrong to continue this relationship. We haven't been honest with each other. She's still pining for you, wondering what went wrong, and I'm still having flings with other women. So it isn't fair to either of us to stay together._

 _It sucks that it took me so long to figure that out. Maybe I've known all along and didn't want to acknowledge it, maybe I wanted to make it work because I was jealous of you. I know this is ridiculous, but a part of me has always been jealous of you. Like me, you're a good-looking guy, but aside from that, you are kind, considerate and loyal. You have a good heart. You are also way better at your job than I am because you are more disciplined than I ever was. The list goes on and on. In short, you're everything I'm not._

 _So that night at the bar, when you caught sight of Rose, I did something I shouldn't have done. I stole her away from you before you had a chance to talk to her. Being charming is the only thing I'm better at than you so I wanted to show that I was better at something. I was wrong to do that, but in that moment I felt like I deserved her more than you did. Because you had it all. And I had nothing._

 _I know I always come across confident, but sometimes I really felt inferior to you and I just thought it was my right to have Rose. I thought it was right for you to feel like I always felt. Just this once._

 _I know it's no excuse. You didn't know and it's my fault. I should have told you because you were my best friend. Anyway, I just want to apologize for interfering that night. If I hadn't gone after Rose, we would probably still be friends. It was stupid._ _I was stupid. I'm sorry._

 _I know I don't have the right, but I'm going to need to ask you a favor. I'm at a conference right now, but when I get home I'll tell Rose. I don't want to be a coward any longer and I don't want to live a lie._ _So I'll tell her everything. I'll even tell her about the cheating, and if she wants numbers I'll tell her that too. She deserves to know the truth. I love her enough to give her that. I know it's kind of late, but better late than never, right?_

 _Anyway, when I tell her it'll probably devastate her. She doesn't suspect a thing of my adulterous behavior so it'll hurt. She's probably going to throw me out of the house and that's fine. But I don't want her to be alone. I need you to help her get through this ordeal._

 _I know you think she hates you because you left and that she wouldn't want you here. And she'll probably think you knew all along about my cheating. Don't worry, though. I'll tell her it was my fault. It is_ _my fault._

 _So I'll make sure to let her know that you did everything you could to make me change and be the boyfriend Rose deserved. I'll tell her you left because you couldn't stand to be around me any longer for what I was doing to her. I'll finally tell her about the fight we had. And I'll tell her I made you promise to keep my secret because you're my best friend. And best friends don't turn on each other._

 _Unfortunately, I turned on you and I hope that one day you will be able to forgive me. But you, my friend, you were always loyal to me. Even when I was together with the girl you loved, you were loyal to me. Even when I was making a mess of my relationship with Rose, you were still loyal to me. I can't be grateful enough to have had you in my life and I'm sorry that I messed everything up._

 _So yeah, when I'm gone I need you to take care of Rose. When she finally hears the truth, I'm sure she'll welcome you with open arms. Because after all this time I know that her feelings for you haven't completely faded. And if I know you as well as I think I do, your feelings haven't changed either._

 _So please come home and make things work with Rose. The both of you deserve to be happy. You deserve to be together. Then it'll be like it always should have been. If I hadn't stopped you from talking to Rose that night at the bar, maybe you two would have been married right now. Maybe I would have been your best man._

 _It's not too late, though. You can still marry her. It's too bad I won't be there to witness it. Rose probably won't want to see me ever again, which I understand. And you probably don't want to see me either. I'm okay with that. I know it's my own fault. I let it all happen and now I've got to pick up the pieces and move on._

 _I realize this is probably a lot to digest, but I have another favor to ask. When you and Rose do get together, will you let me know? Just a simple email or a text is fine. You don't even have to talk to me. But knowing you two are having a good life together, it'll make me feel better. Because…as long as I know that my best friend is happy, I'm happy too._

 _That's it, I guess. I never imagined I'd ever write a letter in my life, but hey, anything can happen._

 _All my best,_

 _Adrian_

The letter became blurry as I stared at it with tears in my eyes. Adrian had known all along and he'd never told me. He'd never called me out on it. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. I guess I should feel bad that my feelings for Dimitri had been so obvious to Adrian. And I did.

I did feel bad. But Adrian could have dumped me. Instead, he asked me to marry him. We both used each other, I realized. He used me to make Dimitri jealous, to show him that he was better at _something_. And I used Adrian to get to know Dimitri, only to hurt him in the end and choose Adrian because I'd convinced myself that I was in love with _him_ and not Dimitri.

I believed that there was a time Adrian and I'd loved each other, but that love faded and we were both too cowardly to end it. I agreed to marry Adrian, despite my doubts, but as I looked back on the time between Dimitri's departure and Adrian's death… I wasn't so sure anymore I would even have married Adrian if he'd still been alive.

It was only now that I realized it – after reading Adrian's letter. Because he was right. My feelings for Dimitri never completely faded and even though my goal was to be happy with Adrian I never got rid of the doubts I had about our wedding. That didn't mean I didn't love Adrian, I loved him with all my heart, but I don't think I was _in_ love with him. I hadn't been in a very long time.

But I was in love with Dimitri. The happiness I always felt when he entered the room, the butterflies that exploded in my stomach when he gazed at me…. I'd never had that with Adrian. I felt the way about Dimitri the way I should have felt about Adrian.

 _I chose wrong_ , I thought as a tear rolled down my cheek. _Because I'm a coward. If I'd just ended it, we both would have been free to do what we wanted, to be with who we wanted._

But it was too late now. Adrian was dead and he never got the freedom he'd wanted. I still had a chance to get what I wanted, though.

Wiping at my eyes, I put the letter back into the envelope. A part of me was relieved, but another part of me was sad. Sad for Adrian. I knew I should be angry, at least a little, about his adulterous behavior with I don't know how many women, but I wasn't. I couldn't be angry anymore.

Adrian had wanted me to be happy, he'd wanted me to work it out with Dimitri. He could have blamed me for loving someone else, but he hadn't. Probably because he hadn't been honest with me either. But he'd wanted to come clean. He would have, if he hadn't died.

So he wasn't all bad. He'd wanted to do the right thing for once, but life had been cruel to him and he never got the chance to tell me. He never got the chance to start over.

It made my heart ache.

* * *

 _So...that was the letter. I hope you liked it. Please leave a review and let me know what you think. Have a nice day/evening! :)_


	32. Chapter 32

_Thank you very much for the reviews!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 32**

 **RPOV – AUGUST 12, 2015**

I hadn't even opened the front door completely before my mom flew into my arms. I stumbled back, stunned, and put my arms around her.

"Hey Mom," I said. "How was the trip?"

She pulled away from me, tears in her eyes. "How are you doing, Rose? Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm fine," I told her.

She frowned. "I don't-"

"Janine, let her be."

I looked up at my dad and gave him a smile. "Hi Dad."

Mom stepped away so I could give my dad a hug as well.

"So how was Egypt?" I asked, closing the door.

"We can talk about Egypt later," Mom said, walking into the living room. I followed her. "First, we need to talk about _you_."

"Me?" I said, frowning. "Why?"

She turned around and cut me a look. "You know why, Rose."

I looked away, feeling slightly guilty.

"You should have told us right away, Rose," Dad said sternly. "We're your parents. We could have helped you, supported you."

"I know that," I said, suppressing a sigh. "I already apologized for not telling you about Adrian. What more do you want?"

"We just want you to be happy again, Rose," Mom said softly. "That's all we care about."

I nodded. "Can we talk about something else now? Please?" I almost begged. I really didn't feel like talking about Adrian.

Dad sat down on the couch. "Sure. How was your stay with Dimitri? You had fun?"

"Uh, sure, it was fun," I said, looking away again. I didn't want to talk about Dimitri either. "Do you guys want something to drink? Or something to eat? I have cake."

I hurried to the kitchen before they could answer and came back with refreshments and the cake. I'd hoped Dad had forgotten all about Dimitri, but that was not the case.

"So, how is he doing?" he asked.

"He's doing fine," I answered. Handing him a glass of lemonade, I said, "Here, drink up."

"Was he at the funeral?" Dad continued his interrogation. Why the hell was he suddenly so interested in Dimitri?

"No, he wasn't," I told him curtly.

"That's strange. Wasn't he Adrian's best friend?"

"They hadn't been in contact for a long time, Abe," Janine said. "And I thought you'd stopped speaking to Dimitri as well since they had that fight," she added, looking at me.

"That's true, but Dimitri came back after the funeral and, well…" I said, shrugging helplessly. "Do you want a refill, Dad?" I asked, desperately trying to distract them. "A slice of cake maybe?"

"Sure," he said.

"You too, Mom?"

She nodded.

"So, tell me about Egypt…" I started when I'd refilled their glasses and given them a slice of cake.

"It was great," Dad said. "We did a lot of sightseeing."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. So about Dimitri… What's he doing right now? Still working as a broker?"

I sighed, frustrated. "Yes. He's got his own mansion now."

Dad arched an eyebrow. "Really?"

I nodded. "Yeah, it's awesome. He's got a beach as his back yard."

"Impressive," Dad noted. "And you got to stay there for an entire month. How was that?"

I frowned. "Why are you suddenly so interested in Dimitri?"

"I've always liked Dimitri better than Adrian," Dad said with a shrug.

My mom elbowed him. "Abe," she scolded. "How can you say that to Rose? Adrian just passed away…"

"What? I'm just saying it how it is," Dad said. "I don't mean I disliked Adrian, but…" Mom glared at him and he turned to look at me, contrite. "I'm sorry if I hurt you, Rose. That was not my intention."

"It's okay, Dad," I said, waving away his apology.

Thankfully, they let the subject go after that. They didn't speak of Adrian nor Dimitri the rest of the day and talked about Egypt instead. We had dinner together, which was very nice, and it was only then that I realized how much I'd missed my parents. I realized that I should have told them the minute I'd heard the news about Adrian. Instead, I'd pretended everything was fine. I vowed to myself I would never do that to them - and myself - again.

They left shortly after dinner, but promised to come back the next day. I called Mason because he left several messages during the day. I guess he'd heard that I was back in town. He picked up on the first ring.

"Rose?" he said, his voice excited and happy.

"Hey Mase," I said. "How are you? Sorry I didn't call back sooner. My parents were here all day."

"That's fine," he said. "How have you been? I'm glad you're back."

"Yeah, me too," I muttered, a little bit too unenthusiastic.

"We should meet up and talk," he suggested. "You free tomorrow?"

"No, my parents are still in town," I said, "but maybe the day after tomorrow?"

"Great! I'll see you then."

"Bye."

I watched some TV and went to bed after that. I didn't fall asleep right away because I kept thinking about Dimitri, wondering how he was doing, what he was doing… Did he have trouble falling asleep as well since I'd left? Or was he going on with his life, the way it used to be, before we got together?

As promised, my parents were back the next day. We had lunch in a small restaurant in the neighborhood. When my dad left to get some fresh air, Mom leaned in closer and I knew she was up to no good.

"Can I ask you questions about Dimitri now?" she said in a hushed voice.

"I thought you wanted to know about Adrian," I muttered.

"You don't want to talk about him."

"I don't want to talk about Dimitri either," I shot back.

She eyed me suspiciously. "Why?"

I sighed. "You know, sometimes you can be very nosy, Mom."

"I'm your mother," she replied. "I have to be nosy if it involves you."

I rolled my eyes, but smiled reluctantly. "Fine."

She looked surprised by my answer.

"Just don't judge me, okay?"

"I won't judge you. You're my daughter," she said, almost offended. "I just want to know why you're suddenly friends with Dimitri again. You told me about his fight with Adrian. You took Adrian's side, but apparently you've forgiven Dimitri when he came back after the funeral."

"Yeah, well, his fight with Adrian wasn't his fault," I told her. "It was Adrian's."

Mom frowned. "Who says that? Dimitri?"

"Yes. But he didn't have to tell me that. I just know, Mom," I said. I was not going to tell her about the letter. That was a little bit too much information.

"Okay," she said slowly, waiting for me to explain.

"Adrian wasn't very honest with me during our relationship," I said. I was not going to tell her the details about his escapades either. I was pretty sure she could read it off my face anyway. "Dimitri knew and left when Adrian didn't want to change his ways."

"So the fight was about Adrian's misbehavior?"

I smirked. "Yeah."

Mom looked concerned. "Honey…"

"It's okay, Mom. I struggled with it at first, but I'm fine now because…" I let out a sigh. "I wasn't exactly honest with Adrian either."

Mom's eyes widened. "Do you mean…?"

"I used to have feelings for Dimitri when I was with Adrian," I confessed. "Dimitri asked me to choose. I chose Adrian because I was scared of the consequences. I wanted to believe that I could love Adrian the way I loved Dimitri." I looked away and shook my head. "I was wrong. And then Dimitri left. I wasn't angry at him about the fight, though. I was angry that he'd left without saying goodbye."

I looked up at Mom and her mouth was hanging wide open. She was shocked.

"So you were going to marry a man you didn't love?" she asked at last.

"I thought I loved him," I said with a shrug. "After Dimitri had left, I'd convinced myself I was happy with Adrian and that I wanted a life with him. And it's not like I didn't love Adrian at all. I did – I still do – but not the way I should have loved him. Adrian felt the same way apparently. And you have to be honest, we weren't really acting like a couple anymore. We were acting more like close friends."

"I thought that the both of you were stressed out because of the wedding," Mom said.

I shook my head. "No. I was never really in love with Adrian. I just wanted to be in love with him because I thought that's how it was supposed to be."

"But you were in love with Dimitri?" Mom questioned.

"Yes," I whispered. "I was a coward when I chose Adrian over him. I should have followed my heart, but instead I listened to my brain. I didn't want to ruin their friendship. I didn't want to hurt Adrian."

"Yeah, but apparently Adrian wasn't ready for commitment anyway," Mom muttered.

I nodded. "We were both stupid to stay together."

"And now that you've reconnected with Dimitri?" Mom asked after a few moments, almost hesitant. "Are you…are you still in love with him?"

I nodded.

"Is he still in love with you?"

I hesitated. "I… I think so."

"Then why are you here?"

"We had a fight," I admitted. "He didn't tell me about Adrian's cheating until after we got together. I was hurt and I said some stuff to him that I shouldn't have said. I think I made a mistake by leaving, but I needed space." _Turns out I don't need space, though. I just need Dimitri._

"Why don't you call him?"

"I'm not sure he wants me to," I answered. "I tried to tell him that we would see each other again, but he didn't look like he believed me."

"You should call him, honey," Mom said. "Tell him that you love him. Does he even know that you love him?"

"No, I couldn't get the words out," I told her. "Even after all these years, I'm still a coward."

"It's not too late, Rose. You can still tell him," Mom said. "Then you two can work it out."

"You really think so?"

She smiled. "Of course."

I looked down at my empty plate, feeling a little hopeless. Was Dimitri even going to believe me?

"Look, do you want Dimitri in your life or not?" Mom asked firmly.

"Yes," I replied.

"Then you have to do something about it," Mom said. "Go back to him and tell him. If you don't try, you will never know. You'll regret it the rest of your life."

I mulled it over. She was right, of course. I would regret it the rest of my life if I didn't tell Dimitri how I really felt about him. This was my last chance to make it work with Dimitri and I didn't want to waste it.

"You're right," I said vigorously. "I need to tell him."

Mom smiled again, seemingly satisfied. "Good."

"I still have a couple of things to do before I go back, though," I added.

"Then do them. But do it quickly," she advised. "You can't make him wait for too long."

I nodded. "Okay."

There was a pause. Mom stared at me so I stared back, wondering why she was staring like that.

"Well, what are you waiting for?" she said at last. "Go do your things."

"Oh," I exclaimed, startled, "you want me to do them right now?"

"Yes!"

"But what about you? And Dad?"

"Don't worry about us," she said. "We'll manage."

"Oh God," I said, nervous now that I knew I was actually going to go back to Dimitri. "There's still so much to do. I don't know where to begin."

"Do you need me to take care of something?" Mom asked.

"Uh – maybe you can book my flight while I go do my…things?"

"Fine. When do you want to leave? Is tomorrow okay for you?"

My eyes widened. "Tomorrow?!" She arched an eyebrow at me. "R-right," I stuttered. "Tomorrow's good."

Just then, Dad walked back into the restaurant. I almost bumped into him when I got out of my chair.

"Oh, are we leaving?" he asked.

"No, I am," I replied quickly.

He frowned. "Where are you going?"

"She needs to take care of some things before she goes back to L.A.," Mom said.

"L.A.?" Dad repeated. "Why are you going back there?"

"Dimitri," I answered, putting on my leather jacket.

Dad looked at me, then my mother. "Did I miss something?"

"I'm going to tell Dimitri I love him," I said, grabbing my purse. "Talk to you guys later."

"Finally!" I heard Dad call after me. "Don't forget to invite us to the wedding!"

I ignored his comment and crossed the street to where my car was parked. My first stop was Mason's apartment. I ran up the stairs to the first floor after he'd buzzed me in. He already stood in the hallway, waiting for me.

"Hey Rose, I thought we were going to meet up tomorrow?" he asked, looking confused. "But today's great too," he added and he brightened.

"I can't come tomorrow." His face fell immediately. "I'm sorry, I have to go back to L.A."

Mason frowned. "Why? Did you forget something at Dimitri's place?"

 _Sort of._

"Uh no," I said, wondering what I should tell him. _The truth, of course._ "I'm going back to be with Dimitri," I explained, holding my breath as I waited for Mason's response.

As I'd expected, he looked hurt. I immediately felt bad, but I knew this was for the best. He had to move on. Find someone else to be happy with.

"You like him?" Mason asked, his voice quiet.

I nodded. "I'm sorry, Mase. I hope we can still be friends."

That hurt look was still on his face. "Sure. Of course." He paused. "How long have you known?"

It didn't take long for me to figure out what he meant. "Since our trip to L.A. You were kinda mean to Dimitri."

He grimaced. "Yeah, I kinda was." Clearing his throat, he said, "Anyway, I'll see you next week at work, then?"

"Not if everything goes according to plan," I told him.

He frowned. "What do you mean? You're not coming back?"

I shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. Maybe not."

He looked disappointed. "Then I won't see you again."

"I'll come back eventually," I promised. "I still want to see my friends from time to time." Stepping closer, I hugged him. "Goodbye, Mason. I hope you'll find your happiness."

"Goodbye, Rose," he murmured when I let go of him. "And good luck, I guess."

Grinning, I started to retreat. "I'm going to need it, I'm afraid."

* * *

 _So Rose is going back to tell Dimitri how she feels about him! Yay! Please let me know what you think of this chapter. Of course I hope you liked it, even though there was no Dimitri in this one (again). Have a nice day/evening! :)_


	33. Chapter 33

_Thank you very much for the reviews, favorites and follows! :)_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 33**

 **RPOV – AUGUST 13, 2015**

"Rose, what a surprise," Adrian's mom said when she opened the front door and came face to face with me. "Please come in."

She led me into her spacious living room and motioned for me to sit down. "Do you want some coffee, dear? Tea?"

"No, thank you," I said politely. "I won't be long."

"How have you been?" Daniella asked as she sat down across from me.

"I'm okay," I said, giving her a small smile. "How are you feeling?"

Her eyes watered immediately and I felt bad for asking. "Getting there," she responded quietly.

"I wanted to give you something…" I started, opening my purse. I took out the engagement ring and offered it to her. She looked at me in confusion. "I think you should have this."

"But that's your engagement ring," Daniella protested. "Adrian bought it for you."

I didn't know the right way to say this, but I had to try and explain anyway. "I won't be needing it anymore. I'm sure Adrian would have wanted you to keep it somewhere safe." She looked at me in doubt. "Please take it. I can't hold onto it any longer."

She hesitated, but then reached for the ring. "You're moving on," she stated.

"I have to," I said gently.

She nodded. "I understand."

"I'm sorry."

She shook her head. "There's no need to apologize, dear. If there's anything Adrian would have wanted it's for you to be happy." Clasping the ring to her chest, she wiped her eyes with her free hand.

"Thank you for understanding," I said.

"No, thank _you_ for your gift," she said, smiling through her tears. "I'll keep it safe."

After my visit to Adrian's mother, I went back home and packed up my belongings. Mom had called me last night to tell me she'd booked my flight. She and Dad would be here soon to drive me to the airport. But I had two more things to do before that.

"Hey Rose, what a lovely surprise," Christian said sarcastically when I knocked on Lissa's apartment door. He was finally sounding like himself again. "You're not interrupting _at all_."

"Put on a damn shirt, Christian," I told him, "and tell Liss I'm here. I'm in a hurry."

My parents were waiting for me downstairs.

"Great," he said. He walked back into the apartment and opened the bedroom door, "Liss, get dressed. Rose needs to talk to you." He closed the door again and walked into the kitchen. "Well, come inside. I don't bite."

I went inside and closed the door. "Aren't you going to put on a shirt now? I don't want to see you half-naked. It hurts my eyes."

"Sucks for you," he shot back.

Lissa walked out of the bedroom, wearing a tank top and shorts. She had sex hair and her face was glowing. God, I wished I'd waited another hour before coming over.

"Rose, hey," she said, a little bit stunned. "I didn't expect you here today."

"Yeah, sorry, I should have called," I apologized.

"Yeah. You should have called," Christian said.

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from lashing out at him. He really could be a pain in the ass sometimes.

"I'm going back to Dimitri," I told Lissa.

Her mouth fell open. "Really?" Then she grinned. "Oh my God, I'm so happy for you, Rose!" She embraced me so tightly I could hardly breathe. "I never thought Adrian was good at giving advice, but I'm glad you're following his advice now. Thank God Dimitri gave you that letter."

I cut her a look and she gasped when she realized what she'd said.

"What letter?" Christian asked curiously.

"Nothing," Lissa and I replied in unison.

Lissa led me away from Christian and whispered, "You know Adrian is right. You and Dimitri should be together."

I'd told her a little about the contents of the letter after I'd read it the first time. I knew that secretly she wanted to read the letter herself, but she respected Dimitri's privacy – and mine.

"Aww, look at you," I said teasingly. "Suddenly you are Adrian's biggest supporter."

"If everything you told me about that letter is true, it means that Adrian wasn't as bad as I'd thought. He wanted to make things right." She smiled ruefully. "Unfortunately, he didn't get the chance to do that."

I nodded.

"What are you two discussing over there?" Christian asked. He started to get up. "What's this about a letter? What does Adrian have to do with it?"

"It's just something Adrian left behind for Rose and Dimitri," Lissa told him. "So it's not your business to know."

"But it is yours, apparently," he shot back.

"I'm Rose's best friend," Lissa said grinning. "Of course it's my business."

"I have to leave now," I said to Lissa. "I'll call you later, when I get off the plane."

Lissa hugged me again. "Good luck, Rose."

"Thanks," I murmured.

Christian looked at me as I walked back to the door. "It sucks that you're leaving," he said. He smiled playfully. "Who am I going to annoy now?"

I smiled back. "Oh, I'm sure you'll find someone new."

"Yeah, but no one can annoy _me_ the way you do."

I grinned at him. "Is this your way of telling me that you're going to miss me?" He shrugged, not looking at me. I walked over to him and ruffled his hair. "You're so sweet."

"Get off me," he said, slapping my hand away. But he was still smiling. "Have a safe trip. And please behave. I don't want Dimitri to send you back."

Maybe he was going to send me back anyway. But at least I wouldn't be able to say that I hadn't tried.

"Goodbye, Christian. Take care of Liss for me."

Lissa walked me outside. She hugged me one last time and I was nearly in tears because I had to part with her. I promised her I'd see her soon and got inside the car.

Mom turned in her seat to look at me. "Ready to go to the airport now?"

I nodded. "Can you stop on the way over at the graveyard?"

Mom looked at Dad, who was driving.

"Sure, Rose," he said, giving me a small smile as he looked at me through the rearview mirror.

Not a lot of people were visiting their loved ones today, or so it seemed like. I was all alone as I walked to Adrian's grave with a bouquet of flowers I'd just picked up from a flower shop nearby. I hadn't been here since the funeral.

When I reached his grave, I sat down on the grass and looked at Adrian's picture. I'd heard that talking to your lost loved ones makes you feel better so that was what I was going to do.

"Hey Adrian, I brought you some orchids to brighten up the place," I started, feeling slightly weird for talking out loud to a grave. Thank God no one was around. "I'm sorry I didn't visit sooner, but I… I had a lot of stuff to work through." I paused. "That's a bad excuse, I know, so I'm just going to be honest. I was angry at you. For cheating on me. It hurt me, but…" I sighed. "I hurt you, too, and I'm sorry. Dimitri gave me the letter you wrote to him. It explained a lot and I think I finally understand now. You and I were never meant to be. We were only hurting each other by staying together. If I'd been honest with myself, with you, from the start maybe no one would have gotten hurt. I know you were trying to make it right again, but you were taken away from us before you could. But you did do something right by writing that letter and sending it to Dimitri. I just want you to know that I forgive you for cheating on me. I know you never wanted to hurt me. Now I can only hope that, if you're out there somewhere, you can forgive me for not being able to love you the way I should have loved you." I placed the orchids on his grave and touched his picture. "I miss you."

Slowly, I got up and walked back to the car. Tears were still streaming down my face as I got inside, but I didn't try to hide them. My parents didn't say a word, for which I was grateful.

When I was done crying, I said, "Okay, you can drive me to the airport now."

"Are you going to be okay, honey?" Mom asked when we arrived. I'd asked them not to come inside with me. It would only make it harder to say goodbye. "We can stay with you for a little while longer if you want."

I shook my head. "Thanks, Mom, but I'll be fine."

She nodded. "Okay." I hugged her and it sounded like she was crying when she said, "Call me when you land, okay?"

I hugged her tighter, forcing my own tears back. "I will."

Dad kissed the top of my head. "And if you need anything, you call us immediately, okay? We're here for you."

I smiled at him. "Thank you."

It was strange that only a few weeks ago I'd been jealous that I wasn't close with my family, but I realized now that I was. Maybe not in the same way that Dimitri was with his family, but we were still close and I knew that I could always count on my parents.

Thankfully, I didn't sit next to a nosy passenger this time. Not that I paid much attention to the other passengers. I was too distracted by my own thoughts to notice them. And I was feeling incredibly nervous. Because after today it might all be over – or it might finally begin. It all depended on Dimitri and, honestly, after everything that had played out last week I wasn't too sure about how he'd react. But it didn't matter. Even if he'd changed his mind about me, I still wanted him to know how I _really_ felt about him. I could only hope that it was not too late for us.

When I got off the plane, I called Mom. To my relief, she didn't sound as sad anymore as when we'd said goodbye. She wished me luck and made me promise to keep her and Dad updated. After I hung up on her, I called Lissa. I realized that I was stalling, but I was just so damn nervous and I really needed to talk to my best friend, even if it was only for a minute.

"Rose, you're stalling and you know it," Lissa said patiently. It was like she could read my mind! "Just get into a cab and go to Dimitri. Talk to him."

"What if he's working?" I asked.

"Then you wait for him to come back."

"Okay, I guess I can do that," I said, still a little uncertain.

"Of course you can," Lissa answered gently. "It's going to be okay, Rose. If you don't believe in yourself, believe in me."

I took a deep breath. "Okay. Okay. I can do this." I kept repeating the words until I actually believed them. "Thank you, Liss."

"Now go," Lissa said. "The longer you wait the more nervous you get."

"You're right."

"Okay. I'm going to hang up now. I need to get to the hospital."

"Oh, right. I'm sorry. I didn't want to keep you."

"Don't worry about it. Just text me when you've talked to Dimitri," Lissa said.

"I will. Thanks again, Liss."

"You're welcome."

I hailed a cab. The whole drive to Dimitri's house, I was biting my nails. _Just calm down, Rose. Calm the fuck down._

Closing my eyes, I took a few deep breaths. When the cab pulled up at Dimitri's curb, I was completely Zen – well, almost. At least I wasn't biting my nails anymore.

"Good luck," the cabbie said when he handed me my luggage and closed the trunk.

Shit, was I so nervous that even the cab driver had noticed?

"Thanks," I muttered.

I watched him drive off and then turned towards the door. Maybe I should have asked him to stay, just in case Dimitri didn't want to talk to me. Hauling my luggage behind me, I made my way to the front door. Taking another deep breath, I rang the doorbell and waited.

* * *

 _There you go! I hope you liked it. There will only be two more chapters left after this one. Have a nice day/evening! :)_


	34. Chapter 34

_Thank you very much for the reviews!_

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **CHAPTER 34**

 **DPOV – AUGUST 13, 2015**

Ever since Rose had left, my mother kept calling me to check in. I knew she was only doing this because she was worried about me, but it was kind of starting to annoy me. I kept telling her that I was fine, even though I was not. I guess she kept calling me because she didn't believe me. She also kept saying that Rose would come back to work it out.

"You'll see, Dimka, one of these days she'll be at your doorstep," Mama said. I almost rolled my eyes. "True love conquers all."

"You watch way too many romantic movies, Mama," I told her.

"Don't mock me, Dimka. You know I'm right."

I sighed. "Sure, Mama," I said to please her.

In truth, I didn't think things would work out with Rose. Not after the way it ended. I'd much rather have her be pissed at me and then forgive me. But she'd said she understood and left. That was even worse. And even though she'd said we'd see each other again, I didn't believe her. I thought she'd only said that to make me feel better.

But it hadn't.

"You'll see," she repeated. "I know Rose loves you."

"I know you think that, but-" I was interrupted when the bell rang. "Someone's at the door. I'll call you back later, okay?"

"Maybe it's Rose," she said, suddenly excited.

Now I did roll my eyes. "God, Mama," I groaned. "Don't be absurd."

I hung up and threw my phone onto the kitchen table. Why couldn't my mother see that there was no happy ending for me and Rose? I wished she'd realize how much it hurt me to talk about Rose. I just wanted to move on. I knew she was only trying to help me, though, so I didn't say anything about it.

I was so lost in thought I didn't realize right away who was standing before me when I opened the front door. But when I finally realized it, I was in complete shock and unable to utter a word. There was just so much going on in my mind as I stared at Rose.

She offered me a smile, but I was frozen. The only thing working right now was my heart. It was pounding so loud I thought she would hear. _Oh God, my mother is right. Or is she? Maybe Rose is just here to give back that letter. Did she even read it?_

"Hi," she said.

I just kept staring. _Say something!_ Instead, I blinked.

She frowned slightly. "Umm, I'm sorry I dropped by unannounced. I probably should have called first."

"N-no, that's okay," I blurted. _Pull yourself together, Dimitri!_ Taking a deep breath, I continued in a steady, calm voice, "Why are you here?"

Suddenly, I noticed the luggage behind her. Had she not left L.A.? Had she stayed in a hotel somewhere? I was a little confused right now.

"I… I came to tell you that…" Her eyes flicked away from mine. She seemed nervous. When she looked back up at me, there were tears in her eyes. "I read the letter, Dimitri. I'm so sorry. I have been such a fool. I should have never left. I should have stayed and talked to you. I'm sorry."

She came back to apologize for leaving?

"Look, Rose," I said, glad I'd finally composed myself somewhat. "I didn't give you that letter because I wanted you to change your mind about me, about _us_. I just wanted you to find some kind of closure. I thought the letter might help."

"It did, but it made me realize something else too," Rose said. "I'm not just here because Adrian says I don't have to feel guilty." She took a step closer. "I'm here because I'm in love with you."

My heart skipped a beat. The words I'd been waiting years for to hear… The words I could've only dreamed of hearing… She finally said them.

"I was scared to say it two years ago," she said, her voice breaking. "I was scared to say it last week when we had that fight. But I'm saying it now. I love you, Dimitri. I am in love with you." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I know I'm way too late and I know I don't deserve a second chance, but I just wanted you to know that you're not second best, Dimitri. You never were."

More tears spilled from her eyes and I wanted to wipe them away. I wanted to hold her and comfort her. But I also wanted to hear the rest of what she had to say.

"I chose wrong," Rose said softly, "because I'm a coward. Even before you left, Adrian knew about my feelings for you, but I was too scared to admit it. I didn't want to ruin your friendship with Adrian, but I did it anyway when I decided not to be honest with you, with Adrian, with _myself_."

I was speechless. Even if I could talk, I didn't want to interrupt her. I just wanted to keep listening to her. I just wanted to hear her say she loved me over and over again.

"I'm sorry for hurting you so many times, Dimitri," she whispered. "And I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that what you and I have is true love."

"But you and Adrian-" I cut myself off, cursing silently. _Shut up, Dimitri. Don't ruin this for yourself._

"I loved Adrian, yes, but I was not in love with him. I thought I was because I wanted it to be like that. It seemed easier. But I was wrong. So wrong." She looked at me pleadingly. "I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing, Rose," I told her.

She looked confused. "But…"

"Actually, just stop talking."

Her shoulders dropped in defeat. She nodded. "Okay... I'm sorry for bothering you. I shouldn't have..."

She started to turn away without finishing her sentence so I grabbed her hand. She looked up at me in surprise and I smiled down at her.

"I just want you to stop talking so I can kiss you."

Her eyes widened. Closing the distance, I pressed my lips against hers. Immediately, Rose responded to my kiss and wrapped her arms around my neck and I had never ever felt this good in my entire life. My arms went around her waist and I lifted her before spinning her around. Rose pulled away from the kiss to look at me, laughing.

"I love you so much, Dimitri," she whispered.

"I love you too, Roza," I whispered back before our lips met again in a gentle, sweet kiss.

"Can you forgive me?" she asked quietly when I'd put her back down on her feet.

I smiled again. "Of course, Roza."

She looked relieved and smiled back before burying her face in my neck. I held her for a very long time. I'd never thought she'd come back. I'd never thought she could love me the way I've always loved her. My mother had been right all along. I should have believed in Rose. I should have believed in _us_.

"I missed you, comrade," Rose said, wrapping her arms around me firmly. "I missed you really, really hard."

I kissed her beautiful hair. "I missed you too, Roza." I moved my lips to the side of her head and kissed her temple. "You can't imagine how happy I am you're back." Suddenly, I remembered something and glanced back at her suitcase. "I thought you'd gone back home. Why'd you stay in L.A.?"

"I didn't," she answered, meeting my gaze. "I went home and I…took care of some things."

I looked at her, confused.

"I don't want to be apart from you anymore," Rose said. "I already wasted so many years because I was too much of a coward to admit my true feelings for you."

I was still a little confused, but also hopeful. Did she mean what I thought she meant? "What are you saying?"

"I'd like to move here," she explained. "So I can be with you. I quit my job yesterday. And if you still want to, you can sell my house. My parents are going to sell my car. With the money, I can find my own place here – and buy a new car of course."

"You don't have to find your own place," I told her. "You can move in here. With me."

Rose looked hesitant. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Of course." That was more than I'd ever dreamed of.

She grinned. "I was actually hoping you'd say that."

I laughed and kissed her. "You really thought I'd say no? Roza, you know me better than that."

Her grin widened. "Well, I guess I'm moving in then."

I kissed her again. Deeply.

"Did you really quit your job for me?" I asked, still a little surprised by that news.

"Yes." She shrugged. "It's okay. I'm sure there are schools here that are in need of a biology teacher."

"I could have moved back, Roza," I told her. "I can sell houses anywhere. You didn't have to-"

"No," she interrupted, shaking her head. "You don't have to give up your life here because of my mistakes. Besides, I want a fresh start. Here. With you." She entwined our hands. "And I don't really think Vika would have been happy if you'd sold this house."

"But what about Lissa?" I asked. "She's your best friend."

"I'll still see her," she said. "Just not as much as I used to."

I looked at her, doubtful.

Rose smiled reassuringly. "Comrade, don't worry." She stood on her tiptoes and put her hands on my cheeks. "I want this. Really, I do. It's fine. Lissa has Christian. I have you. Even if we don't see each other as much anymore, we're still going to be best friends."

"Okay," I said, smiling as well. "I just wanted to make sure."

"And now that you are sure?" Rose asked teasingly.

"Now I'm going to carry you inside," I said, swooping her up in my arms. She squealed and threw her arms around my neck. "Seriously, Roza, how much did you eat on your way over here?" I groaned.

"I was nervous," she exclaimed, slapping my shoulder.

I laughed. "Just teasing, Roza."

"Not funny, comrade," she grumbled, playfully glaring at me.

I carried her into the kitchen and put her down on the countertop before placing another kiss on her lips. "Let me get your luggage."

When I walked back into the kitchen, she hopped off the countertop. "I still have some stuff at home, but my mom will ship it over. I just texted her."

"You had it all figured out already before you came down here, huh?" I teased.

"I wasn't counting on it, if that's what you mean," she answered, smiling a little. "But I was hoping you'd take me back. I was hoping really, really hard," she added and her smile grew wider, her eyes shining with happiness. "And I'm so grateful that you did. I'll make it up to you, though."

"Oh, really?" I breathed as she leaned in close, her lips almost touching mine.

"Really," she whispered, her hands slowly sliding down my chest.

We both jumped apart, startled, when my cellphone rang loudly. I frowned, not too happy about the interruption. It was one of my clients, but I'd be damned if I'd take that call.

"Work?" Rose asked.

"It's not important." Taking her hands in mine, I pulled her back closer. "You are," I told her, and I tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. She turned her head and kissed the palm of my hand.

"We should celebrate," Rose said excitedly.

I smiled, amused. "What do you have in mind?"

We ended up on the beach, where we had a picnic. I hadn't expected company so I didn't have a lot of food in my fridge, but we made it work. I didn't have any champagne either to celebrate so we settled for wine instead. It didn't really matter what we ate or drank. All that mattered was that we were together – at last.

"I'd like to propose a toast," Rose said as she filled our glasses with wine. She looked at me, smiling softly. "Dimitri, you are my anchor. You always have been. And I hope that, from now on, I can be yours too. I know we can make it through anything as long as we're together." She raised her glass and clinked it with mine. "To us."

I put my glass down and pulled hers from her hands. She looked confused and surprised at the same time, but before she could say anything, I captured her lips with mine and kissed her with all the love I had for her. When I pulled away, she looked dazed.

I smiled warmly, never letting go of her hand. "To us."

* * *

 _Oh my God, they're together at last! Hooray! :D Honestly, it was a real pain in the ass to write chapters where they weren't together. So this was the last chapter. There will be an epilogue, though. I'll probably be able to update it next week._ _I'll also post a summary of my new story when I upload the epilogue. Please leave a review and let me know what you think of the chapter. I hope you liked it! Have a nice weekend! ^^_


	35. Chapter 35

_Thank you very much for the reviews! I'm so glad you liked it._

 _ **Disclaimer:** I do not own Vampire Academy._

* * *

 **EPILOGUE**

 **RPOV – JUNE 26, 2018**

"What are you doing, Roza? You shouldn't be carrying that around."

I stopped to look at my husband. Rolling my eyes, I said, "It's just a purse, comrade. It's not that heavy."

"Let me carry it for you," Dimitri suggested, holding out his hand.

"It's fine," I said, giving him a reassuring smile. "The doctor said everything's fine. So don't worry."

"You're going to have to let me help eventually," Dimitri said.

I sighed. "I know. But not yet," I added with a grin.

"Okay," Dimitri finally gave in, "but be careful."

I took his hand in mine and laced our fingers together. Looking down at our wedding bands, I smiled. I'd been married to Dimitri for six months now and it was the best choice I'd ever made in my life.

"Come on, comrade," I said, tugging at his hand. "Lissa is expecting us."

We started walking again towards Lissa's apartment building, hand in hand. Dimitri insisted we'd take the elevator and I complied because he'd let me carry my purse.

"Rose! I can't believe you're finally here," Lissa squealed as she let us inside. She smiled at my husband. "Dimitri, you look as handsome as ever."

Christian cleared his throat. "I'm right here, babe."

Lissa looked at him and blew him a kiss. "You know I think you're the hottest guy in the world."

Christian smiled, satisfied, and greeted us. "Hey Rose. Dimitri. Good to see you again."

"You look great, Rose," Lissa said, hugging me. "You're glowing. Still in honeymoon bliss, huh?"

"She looks fatter," Christian noted, furrowing his brows.

"Christian!" Lissa scolded. "How dare you say that to my best friend?!"

"Thanks a lot," I muttered, glaring at him. Dimitri was chuckling and I elbowed him. "Don't laugh, comrade. You should be defending me."

"I thought you didn't want my help," he responded, amused.

"With carrying around my stuff, no. But with this, yes," I told him.

He was still smiling. "Alright. I'll keep that in mind."

"We should probably leave," Lissa said, changing the subject. She grinned excitedly. "Eddie and Mason will meet us at the restaurant. With their girlfriends."

My mouth fell open. "Girlfriends? Why didn't I hear about this before?"

Lissa shrugged. "I don't know much about them either. Just their names."

"I called Eddie yesterday," I grumbled. "I can't believe he didn't tell me!"

Dimitri put his arm around me. "Calm down, Roza," he whispered in my ear before kissing my cheek.

"I am calm," I said immediately.

Dimitri and I sat in the back while Christian drove us to the restaurant. Lissa turned in her seat to chat with me. I hadn't seen her since the wedding so we had a lot to catch up on. Dimitri sat next to me as he absentmindedly played with a lock of my hair.

Eddie and Mason were already at the restaurant with their respective girlfriends. Eddie's girlfriend was named Jill. She was a sweet girl with big green eyes and light brown hair. But the biggest surprise of all was Mason's girlfriend. It was an old colleague of mine: Mia Rinaldi. She taught English at the high school I used to teach – before I moved to L.A.

"Wow, I cannot believe you hid this from me, Mase," I told him after I'd greeted Mia. It was nice to see her again after all this time. "I hope you're treating her well."

"He is," Mia said smiling, leaning her head against his shoulder.

After the introductions, we walked inside the restaurant and took our seats in the back, near a window. When the waiter came to take our orders, everyone wanted to have some wine. I glanced at Dimitri and he shrugged, silently telling me it was my decision.

"Why did you order water?" Lissa said with a frown when the waiter came back a few moments later with the red wine – and my water.

"Someone's gotta drive back," I said, forcing a laugh.

She narrowed her eyes at me. "Dimitri's the responsible one. Not you. What's going on?"

I knew this was going to happen the minute I ordered that water. I glanced at Dimitri again. He smiled reassuringly.

"Alright, there's something we need to tell you guys," I said, taking a deep breath, nervous for their reactions. I found Dimitri's hand on the table and smiled. "We're having a baby."

Lissa squealed in excitement while Eddie almost choked on his wine.

Christian smiled smugly. "I knew you'd put on weight!"

I glared at him. "Stop telling me that."

Lissa was still squealing. "I can't believe you're pregnant!"

Mason smiled. "Congratulations, you two."

Eddie was still coughing and Jill was pounding on his back.

"You want some water?" I asked.

"I – I'm fine," Eddie said at last. He shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe you gave us-" He pointed to Mason and himself "-so much crap for not telling you about our girlfriends."

"I guess that makes us even," I said.

Eddie was smiling now. "Well, congratulations."

"How far along are you?" Lissa asked excitedly.

I looked at Dimitri. He was still smiling at me.

"Three months," he replied.

"Oh, do you know if it's going to be a boy or a girl?" Lissa continued excitedly.

"A boy," he said, glowing with happiness now.

"I'm going to be an auntie!" Lissa exclaimed. She was nearly crying; people were actually watching us now with curiosity.

"Okay, time to calm down, Liss," Christian said patiently as he patted her back.

"Right," she said, taking a few deep breaths. "One more question, though," she added with a grin. "Do you have a name yet?"

I smiled. "Yes."

"And?" Mason asked when I didn't say the name.

"Alexander Adrian Belikov," I answered proudly, squeezing Dimitri's hand.

"That's a beautiful name," Jill said.

"Thank you."

Eddie raised his glass and everyone followed. "To Alexander Adrian Belikov."

After dinner, Christian and Lissa drove us back to our hotel. Christian and Dimitri almost had to tear me and Liss apart. I just really hated saying goodbye to Lissa, even though I knew I would see her again in a few weeks. She and Christian would come to L.A. to stay with us for a couple of days. I could hardly wait for it.

"I'm glad we don't have to keep our baby a secret anymore," I said to Dimitri when we lay in bed. It was already past twelve, but I was wide awake.

"Me too," he said, caressing my small baby bump. He couldn't keep his eyes off of it.

I hated that I was getting fatter – and I hated that Christian had noticed so quickly – but I loved the baby bump that was growing every day a little bit more.

"You think I'm fat?" I asked.

Dimitri chuckled. "No, Roza."

"But I'm going to get fat," I said, pouting. "Will you still love me then?"

Dimitri tore his eyes away from my baby bump to look at me. "Of course, Roza." He kissed my lips. "I will always love you."

I smiled contentedly. "I will always love you too." I placed my hand on top of his. "And our beautiful baby boy of course."

Dimitri pressed another kiss to my lips. "You should get some rest now, love."

"You're not worrying again, right?" I asked.

"No, I just want you and the baby to be okay," he told me.

"We're fine," I promised, kissing the corner of his mouth. "Really."

Dimitri turned off the beside lamp before wrapping his arms around me. My back was pressed against his chest and I felt him kiss my shoulder.

"Good night, Roza," he whispered.

I smiled and closed my eyes. "Good night, comrade."

We slept in late because our flight was in the afternoon. After lunch, we called a cab and checked out of the hotel room. On our way to the airport, we stopped at the graveyard to visit Adrian, like we always did when we were in town.

I gave Dimitri a few minutes alone before I sat down next to him on the grass. I leaned my head against his shoulder and looked at Adrian's grave. Even after three years, his grave was surrounded with all kinds of flowers. Like every time, we'd brought some orchids as well and put them down next to the rest of the flowers.

I sighed. "I bet he would have loved it that we're going to name the baby after him."

Dimitri smiled a little. "Yeah." There was a pause. "I miss him."

"I know." I kissed his cheek. "I miss him too," I said quietly.

We sat in silence for a little while longer. Knowing the cab driver was probably impatient to leave, I started to get up.

"Wait, let me help you," Dimitri started.

"I can still get up on my own, comrade," I said. "You're acting like I'm about to pop. There are still six months to go."

"I know, I know," he said. "I just want to take care of you."

I smiled and kissed his lips. "You already are, Dimitri."

"But…"

"Let's make a deal," I said. "From the moment I start feeling like I can't do things on my own anymore, like carry bags or get up from the couch or whatever, I'll let you help me. _Willingly._ Okay?"

"Okay," he agreed. "But you'll tell me immediately. Don't wait until it's too late. I don't want you to fall or hurt yourself-"

I pressed my lips against his, cutting him off. "Okay," I said when I pulled away. I put my hands on his cheeks and smiled. "You're going to be a wonderful father, Dimitri Belikov. I just know it."

Dimitri's smile widened. "I love you, Roza."

I kissed him again. It was a sweet, gentle kiss. When we pulled away from each other, I sighed in contentment. Three years ago, I wouldn't have been able to imagine this kind of life for myself. But today, I was still so, so grateful to have found love with Dimitri.

"I love you too, comrade."

Dimitri kissed the top of my nose and laced his fingers with mine. "Let's go home."

* * *

 _Here you go, the last chapter to this Romitri got their happily ever after (I wouldn't have it any other way :D). I hope you liked it. I want to thank everyone for supporting me and for reviewing, favoriting and following this story. It really means a lot to me. Thank you all so much._

 _So now that this story is over, I'll be writing a new Romitri story (of course :D). It's all human, like usual. Here is the summary:_

 _ **Rose has to leave her whole life behind when her parents decide to move across the country. Fearing she won't adapt to this new life, she meets Lissa Dragomir at her new high school. She bumps into Dimitri Belikov as well, who's recently been released from juvie, and she's immediately intrigued. Despite all the warnings to stay away from him, she wants to get to know him better. Will she be able to break down his walls? Will he finally let someone in?**_

 _Please let me know if anyone would be interested in reading this. I've started writing it already so I'm able to upload the first chapter in a couple of days. I'll post an A/N here when I do._

 _Thanks again for reading this story! I hope you enjoyed this epilogue._

 _Lots of love!_


	36. Chapter 36

_Hello again! For those who are interested, my new story has been posted! It's called "Better with you". Here's the full summary again:_

 ** _Rose has to leave her whole life behind when her parents decide to move across the country. Fearing she won't adapt to this new life, she meets Lissa Dragomir at her new school and instantly becomes friends with her. She bumps into Dimitri Belikov as well, who's recently been released from juvie, and she's immediately intrigued. Despite all the warnings to stay away from him, she wants to get to know him better. Will she be able to break down his walls? Will he finally let someone in?_**

 _Thank you again for reading, reviewing, favoriting and following my stories! It means the world to me. Lots of love._


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